


Price of Belief

by Jettara1



Category: rise of the guardians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 12:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2310425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jettara1/pseuds/Jettara1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After discovering Jack's one true fear Pitch latches onto it and intends to use it against the Frost Child and make every child in the world fear the name Jack Frost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Price of Belief

Price of Belief

Chapter 1   
________________________________________

Jack was nearly bouncing with joy when the portal opened on the dark sandy beach. After years of being dragged all over the world to places the other Guardians felt were good vacation spots, it was Jack's turn and he was so happy North had handed him the magic snow globe, much to Bunnymund's horror. Whispering Fundy's Coast Sea Caves had everyone raising their brows. As the portal opened Bunny made some commet about his tunnels and Jack quickly shoved him through the portal before the Pooka could do anything.

Now they stood on the sandy red beaches of Funy's Coast, meters away from a large cave. North, Tooth and Sandy looked around in awe as Bunny picked himself up and dusted off the sand. He whistled at the sight that met them.

"Wow..." Bunny breathed seeing the sprawling ocean and rocky islands. "This is what ya been going on 'bout, Frostbite."

Jack's smile faded as he turned to his fellow Guardian. "You don't like it?"

"Nah, mate, Ah love it."

Jack was beaming now even though some of Tooth mini-fairies were hooving about, trying to catch glimpses of his pearly white teeth and not faint. Tooth swooped around, ducking in the cave and fluttering about in her hyperactive way. "This is amazing! How did you find this, Jack?"

North placed a large hand on Jack's shoulder, also admiring the coastal view. "Dis is outstanding, Jack," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, I come here from time to time when I'm not spreading snow and frost," he said, rubbing his left arm. "I always found it relaxing and I love exploring the caves."

"Ah, much like I in my younger days," North laughed, placing his large sack on the ground, depositing camping supplies rather then toys. "How I used to explore forbidden caves in search of treasures, those were the days."

Laughter met them as Bunny used a hind leg to scratch behind an ear. "Yeah, that was what, when ya was half your size 'nd good trillion presents ago?"

"Says bunny who reshape planet before human race was born," North retorted as he rummaged through his sack, starting to pull out supplies. "Bah, you just jealous I had more grand adventures."

Jack just laughed as the two bickered. It seemed they always argued about something. Constantly competing over something. He leaned against his staff and looked out over the vast ocean with a smile. It was late summer, the cove was isolated it was unlikely they would be distrubed by humans, not that any would see them but still, no one wanted to be walked through just because adults didn't believe in them. Besides it was vacation time. Time for rest and relaxation with no elves or yetis or egglets or mini-fairies...okay, so they couldn't get rid of the mini-fairies but that was only because Tooth never really got to take a vacation. Collecting teeth was a full time job.

Sandy floated to Jack, giving him a thumbs up for the stunning location. Jack grinned at him. "Yeah, it is cool, isn't it? Never gets too hot here."

Symbols floated over Sandy's head.

"No, I've never swam here. This'll be my first time." He couldn't help the shiver that ran up his spine. Bunny and North had made it a point in the last five years to teach him to swim and while Jack now had the hang of it he could never really shake the fear of drowning. Of course, considering it was how he had died in his mortal life it was to be expected. He never went out into the water alone and always stayed within arms reach of his fellow Guardians. This would be his first time swimming in the ocean. So yeah, he was nervous, especially of undercurrents that could pull his feet out from under him. That was a scary thought.

Dream sand formed into a lawn chair and Sandy settled back with a pair of sand sunglasses, looking completely at ease and ready for a vacation.

"Jack," North called, drawing the young Guardian's attention. "Come help me set up tent."

A grin adorned Jack's face. North had sad he, Jack and Bunnymund would be camping but, despite the large sack, Jack hadn't really let it sink in. Until joining the Guardians Jack had led a nomad like life, traveling around the globe, spreading snow and frost but never really settling down. Sure Burgess was his home and he would always return but he really settled. Neither had he camped. This was his very first camp out. All the other "vacations" were more like day trips.

North handed him what looked like a very large freezbee inside a shape matching carry bag. Jack raised a questioning brow. Demostrating, North opened the bag then threw the freebee like thing to the side, it popped open to form a dome shape tent. Jack copied him, laughing when his did the same. Next North handed him some pegs. "We need to anker them to the ground. If the wind picks up we don't want them flying away," North explained with a wink. He begand pulling out more stuff, lawn chairs, a portable BBQ and sleeping bags, more than what Jack was sure the sack should be able to carry. And Jack should know, he'd been thrown in that sack a number of times.

In under a half hour the two had the camp site set up while the others played in the surf. Jack removed his hoodie, wearing a blue t-shirt North had gifted him with the day the Guardian of Wonder declared Jack needed more clothes than just his blue hoodie and the clothes he had been reborn in. It was the same day North had presented him with his own bedroom in Santoff Claussen. The moment he was in just the t-shirt and jean shorts Bunny grabbed him from behind, threw him over his shoulder and matched toward the ocean, not giving the smaller spirit a chance to grab his staff.

"Stalled long enough, Snowflake," the Pooka declared, his usual saying when he thought Jack was trying to stay out of the water because of his phobia.

Nonetheless Jack struggled, slapping at Bunny's backside. "I can walk you know!"

"Yep."

"Put me down or I'll freeze that cottontail."

A hand rested on his back, his only warning before he was thrown in the water. It was Bunny's way of preparing him. As much as Jack hated the water - he'd never completely get over his death - he kept himself calm, squishing that bit of fear as he held his breath. He hit the water, only a few feet deep, and for a moment he froze, panic seizing him. He squeezed his eyes shut, counted to five and let his body slowly relax before pushing himself to the surface. It wasn't as if he could drown again, he was technically dead therefore a ghost but there were some fear harder to concure than others. At least there was no ice bursting from him as there had been the first dozen times Bunny had thrown him in.

He wiped water from his face and glared at Bunny. "I was going to come in."

"Sure you were, Frosty," Bunny taunted, splashing him.

And that was the start of an all out water war. Even North got dragged into it. Sandy protected himself with a sand umbrella, moving further away from the slushing water. For hours they played and soon noon came. North bowed out of a full contact football game to BBQ lunch. There was a no power rule in play that after five minutes was ignored, especially between Bunny and Jack as they became more competitve, rough housing on the sand the moment either got the ball and soon Tooth and Sandy stayed in the air, passing the ball to either one of the competitors just to watch them tussel and roll around. There was laughter and teasing. Jack was extremely happy, he waited all year for this, when every could get together and relax and just goof off. He didn't even mind when Bunny pinned him to the ground, declaring himself the winner.

"This is football, not wrestling," Jack protested, but at some point the ball was lost in the tussel.

"Says who?" Bunny laughed, straddling the winter child's hips. Jack went to push him off only to have his wrists seized and pushed to either side of his head. "Say it."

A cocky grin lifted his lips. "Make me," Jack challenged.

Bunny growled, pushing down a little harder.

"Boys," North called from the BBQ. He frowned at the two and sighed. "Bunny, let Jack up. It's time to eat."

A snort came from Bunny as he let Jack go. "Papa North ta da rescue again. Aren't'cha happy ya got him, kid?"

Jack pushed him off. "You're just jealous because he likes me better."

Bunny only huffed by helped Jack to his feet nonetheless. He ruffled Jack's hair and gave him a squeeze. "Yeah, ye dango, who wouldn't want ol'Santa fussing ova'em all da time?"

Grinning, Jack hip checked his "big brother". "Jealous!" he sang.

"Brat," Bunny retorted with a grin of his own. "How 'bout you show mah dat cave afta we eat?"

Jack's smile grew. Launch couldn't past fast enough. He gobbled down his food quickly, slowing only after Tooth and North told him to three or four times. He waited impatiently for Bunny who seemed to take his sweet time eating his roasted carrots, as if purposely stalling but in truth was joking around with the others, oblivious to Jack's impatience. Or so Jack thought until Bunny shot him a smirk. Jack's mouth fell open. He blinked and then frowned.

"Lunch to go!" he suddenly announced, grabbing the last of Bunny's carrots before jumping off and running down the sandy beach toward the cave, leaving his staff in North's care.

"Frost, get back here!" Bunny yelled, giving chase. He caught up just inside the huge cave, stopping when he saw the sheer size of it. He gave a low whistle before hopping over to Jack. The ocean swept into the large cavern, forming small islands out of rock croppings. The ceiling was nearly fifty feet from the ground and strangely smooth. It went on forever, or so it seemed. Two or three hundred feet in was covered in shadow, the light not penetrating that far. There were rock ledges dotting the cavern and huge pillars created by the raise and fall of the ocean. "No wonder you were in such a rush."

Jack nodded, handing Bunny his carrots. "You should see it in winter. The ice hangs from the ceiling, almost touching the water. I made that ledge there my home when in the area," his voice tiny and far away.

Ignoring the ice cold carrots - stupid ice elf froze them without thinking again - Bunny stared at the youth in shock. "You lived here?"

Jack shrugged. "From time to time. When Spring came too early to Burgess or I just needed a place to hang out. I like exploring the caves." He shook off the momentary loneliness he felt when he remembered his many, many years alone. "Come on, I've got to show you something cool."

The sudden change in mood almost threw Bunny for a loop. It still surprised him how quickly the teen could go from happy-go-lucky to sad and back again as if nothing had happened in between. Teenagers were naturally awkward but an Immortal teen was worse, Jack would never grow out of it. Forever trapped as a 14 year old he also had the mind and heart of one and all the complications that came with it.

Said immortal teen was already bouncing from island to island, heading toward a rather high ledge on the edge of the of where the light met darkness. Without his staff his ability to flew was limited if not gone but he was still able to leap and bounce from island to island until he reached the rock wall, then he was climbing with such agility one would think it was first nature. He shimmied over the ledge and peered over the edge down at Bunny.

"What'cha waiting for, Cottontail, hop to it." He grinned childishly and moved out of the way as Bunny leapt up.

"Okay, Ah'm up here, now wha-" He fell silent, eyes growing wide as Jack touched the far rock wall. Frost crept over it, it's blue white magic lighting chalk pictures that Jack must have drawn over the years. The wall was loaded, not a free space left. Bunny moved closer, admiring the hard work and detail put into every drawing. Something crunched under foot. Blinking, Bunny looked down to find a makeshift bed. Old raggy blankets, and straw littered the ground making the child's 300 years of solitude all too real. "Jack..." he whispered, looking up at the winter sprite. "Ah'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Jack pulled his hand back and sat down, leaning against the wall. He pulled his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, making himself small as if trying to protect himself. If he had his hoody Bunny was sure he'd be hiding within its folds. "I didn't bring you here for pity," he said firmly. "I wanted to show you something cool. I forgot this junk was here."

Bunny wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders. "How long did ya live here?"

"Don't know." Jack shrugged. "I never really lived anywhere, just slept wherever. This place just drew my interest more often and I decided I might as well make it a little more comfortable, especially since I stayed here more often in the Summer."

Bunny gave him a squeeze. "Ya know ya never hav'ta worry 'bout dat anymore. Ya got a home now."

A small nod but Jack pulled his knees closer and rested his chin against them. "This was a bad idea."

"Nah, this is pretty cool. Look at dat view."

Jack glanced up then smiled softly. "Yeah."

"So what's bothering you, Snowflake?" Bunny asked, watching Jack carefully. "There's another reason you wanted to come here for vacation."

Another small shrug before Jack huddled into himself more. "It was stupid."

"I doubt that."

Sighing Jack looked up. "Promise not to tell...or tease me later?"

"Promise."

"North watches the Globe of Belief all the time. None of the lights go out, you know, not the little kids. And I've overheard him talking to Sandy about how I still have only a handful of believers."

"Jack, it takes time."

Jack frowned. "I know. But you'd think after fiver years I'd have more. At least North thinks I should."

Bunny sighed. "Dat ol'blow hard is worry too much. Yer an elemental. Most are never seen but they're still known. Just 'cause the kids don't believe in ya yet doesn't mean ya should get yer knickers in a twist. They'll come, give it time."

Jack only nodded, holding himself tightly. Bunny pulled him close, offering him a comforting shoulder for him to lean on. As tough as Jack tried to act he was still a child with abandonment and self-confidence issues. He so wanted to be believed in and after loosing believers, even for such a short time, Bunny was sure he understood where the kid was coming from. Jack's head rested on his shoulder as they watched the tide roll in. Soon they would have to head back to the others but for now they could just sit together.

A shadow deeper than all the rest moved deeper in the cavern. Pitch Black watched silently as the two Guardians talked. He smelt Jack's fear, the same fear that had clung to him long before they met. That fear of not being believed in. It was something he hid well behind smiles and games, trying to bring fun to children with his blizzards and snowballs. He was very good at hiding it. Pitch may not have followed him all the way here had Bunnymund not accidentally triggered it in his discovery. Jack would have been perfectly happy forgetting about his fears. Pitch drank it in like a sweet wine. Oh how he loved Jack's fear but it wasn't enough, it was never enough. And with the child under North's protective eye in Santoff Claussen and his own power limited at this time, there was no way to capture and torment him. There was nothing more powerful than an immortal's fear and Pitch was intent on soaking himself in Jack's. The question of course was how. How to get him away from the Guardians? How to make sure he was defenseless? Oddly enough the answer was one he never would have considered before, especially for a Guardian. He would grant Jack's wish. He would make children believe. A cruel smile lit his face. Oh yes. Children will believe in Jack Frost and they will fear him. What a perfect revenge that will be.

________________________________________  
Chapter 2: Chapter 2   
________________________________________  
Eventually Jack shock off his aghast and he and Bunny returned to the others and after a few questions from the others that both anaged to wave off, the family of Guardians spent the rest of the afternoon investigating the caves or searching for sea shells or just goofing off in the surf. In no time thoughts of Jack's past were forgotten by the youth, but not by Bunnymund. He couldn't help but shoot a glance toward the ledge, a part of him wanting to go and investigate some more. He was sure where secrets to the youth hidden up there, things he had yet to find in Burgess although he was certain the kid had a hide-ee-whole there somewhere but had yet to find it. This was the closest any of them had come to finding anything remotely resembling a home to the kid and that sent shivers down his spine. Jack deserved so much more. If only they had known about his circumstances sooner, but of course had MiM not choosen Jack to be a Guardians none of them might have cared and that thought made Bunny sick to his stomach. He should have made it a point to know the kid better after the first time they met.

A small sigh left him. None of them could change the past but he could try to make it up to Jack by being a big brother to the kid, whether Jack wanted one or not.

"Hey, Cottontail, you got lead in feet?" Jack called from where he, Sandy and Tooth were building a sand castle. "What'cha doing way over there?"

Bunny just smiled at him. Jack looked so different without his usual hoodie. Still deathly pale - the kid couldn't get a tan to save his life, burn, yes...that was a bad experience just south of Sydney two years ago - the kid wasn't trying to hide under layers of clothes and actually looked relaxed for the first time in months.

North sat in a beach chair not far from the others, seemingly deeply engrossed in a novel but his gaze constantly travelled to their youngest member, keeping an ever watchful eye on him. After the sunburn in Sydney which had been quickly followed by heat stroke, the Guardian of Wonder took no chances with Jack's health, no matter how much the youngling insisted he was fine. The boy was stubborn but that was to be expected after 300 years of isolation. Jack still had trouble with all the attention. When it became too much he would shy away or take off for a few days, but he always came back and that courage was what endeared him to Bunny.

He ruffled Jack's hair as he walked past, earning a distained objection from the youth and his paws batted away as the kid tried to fix his disheveled hair and glared up at the Pooka. Bunny only laughed as he plopped himself down in a free beach chair. "Its getting late," he noticed, accepting a drink from North.

Tooth's head shot up, looking at the evening sky. "Oh dear, we completely lost track of time. Sandy?"

Sandy gave her two thumbs up as he floated up into the air. He grinned at Jack and ruffled his hair but rather than bat his hands away Jack only grinned at him.

"Hey," Bunny objected, gesturing to the tiny gold man. "How come he gets away with it?"

North only chuckled, marking his page before putting the book aside. "You both be back in morning, da?"

Sandy nodded as Tooth fluttered around Jack, anxiously mothering him.

"Tooth," North called. When she didn't responded he sighed. "Tooth, fingers out of mouth."

Bunny chuckled. You'd think after five years she's stop prodding the kid's pearly white teeth.

Tooth's hands shot away from Jack's mouth and she decided to try and straightened his hair. "Don't forget to brush," she instructed as she did every night before kissing his cheek. "Have fun camping out, Sweet Tooth."

Jack blushed, a thin layer of frost coating his cheeks as he smiled adoringly at her. "I will, Tooth. You and the girls have fun."

She fluttered over to North and Bunny, giving both a hug and confirming they would be back by sunrise before joining Sandy and her mini-fairies hovering over the ocean. They both waved before disappearing into the darkening sky.

"Okay, Snowflake," Bunny called. "So what'cha wanna do now? Dis is your vacation."

Jack sat in the sand looking thoughtful for a few minutes as he looked up and down the beach. Then he gave a nod, more to himself then anyone else. "We need wood."

"Wood?" Bunny asked, looking from Jack to North in confusion. North raised a questioning brow.

"For the campfire."

"Oh."

North chuckled. "I brought marshmallows. You two find wood while I prepare fire pit."

The youth whip in glee and jumped to his feet. He took a moment to dust sand off his legs then began running down the beach.

Bunny laughed, watching him go. "This ought'a be good. Kid can't stand heat yet he wants a campfire."

North patted his shoulder. "Jack is child. He justs wants chance to be normal teen. We'll make small fire and keep close eye on him."

"Not if he has any say," Bunny snorted. Jack was already on his way back with an arm load of timber. "That was fast."

A deep belly laugh from North made him groan. "Perhaps you should dig pit while I keep eye on our little sprite."

Giving a nod, Bunny got to work as North took the timber from Jack and deposited it off to the side. Together he and Jack went back out for more as Bunny dug. At least with North by his side Jack would slow down enough for a campfire to actually get started. He watched the two, North's arm around Jack's shoulder, obviously regaling the boy with one story or another becausing Jack was looking up at him instead of grabbing nearby timber.

By the time they came back, a good half hour later to Bunny's surprise, he had a fair size campfire going. They deposited their firewood next to what was left of the first stack and made themselves comfortable. North took back in beach chair while Jack sat on a blanket on the sand a safe distance from the fire but still close enough to be companionable. He stared at the fire with a huge smile, almost bouncing in place like small child much younger than him. He reminded Bunny so much of Jamie Bennett a few years back.

"So Jack," North said, pulling out a dagger and carving a long stick to roast their marshmallows. "Have you any more plans?"

That cocky grin that usually signalled trouble appeared and he rocked back and forth on his rear gazing up at his two elders with mischievious intent. "Well..." he drawled. "Jamie and his friends usually tell scary stories so I was thinking..."

Bunny scoffed at the childishness of it. "Scary stories? Ya sure, Snowflake? Ah wouldn't wanna scare ya or nothing. Yer Mama jus left."

Jack's face darkened. "I can handle any story you could tell. You've got no imagination what so ever anyway."

A nasty smirk alit Bunny's furry face. "That a challenge, Frostbite?"

"You bet."

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," North interjected. "Scaring one another may not necessarily be good idea."

"I can handle it," Jack assured. He waved his hand toward Bunny. "Give it your best shot, 'Roo."

A small growl rumbled through Bunny's chest. He really hated the kangaroo jokes but knew Jack was just trying to be a bug. That's okay he could play dirty too. His brows furrowed and he leaned closer to the fire, staring Jack in the eyes as he began his story in a low voice. "Long before Ah became a Guardian ah lived with mah kind far away from here. Ah was a respected member of mah society. We were warriors and fought many battles. The Golden Age was because of our hard work and not even the Fearlings were not brave enough to take us on. But not all our people were of the light. Like any civilization we had our share of out casts. There was one in particular...a mad scientist. He was into all sorts of things, experimented all the time. People thought he was harmless, just some tinkier who created odd yet fantasic things." Bunny leaned closer, letting the fire light cast odd shadows on his face. Jack instictively shrugged back. "They didn't know the truth about him, what he did late at night when all others were sound asleep in their beds, safe from Fearlings and Dream Pirates. You see what people didn't know was that he would capture spirits and sprites from differnt realms and use their fears to attract the creatures of nightmares and capture them. He would let them possess the poor creatures, changing them into Fearlings but because they were securely trapped so were the Fearlings. Then he would torture them, their screams of agony filling the night, until he changed them back. But he never perfected his technic and when the Nightmare King attacked he managed to escape. He had no fear, no humanity for the Nightmare King to feast on. So he fled and last I heard he still hunts down sprites to use in his experiments. Still captures nightmares. He could even be here."

For several long seconds Jack just stared at him wide eyed, sitting further back than he had at the beginning of the story. His mouth hung open slightly and there was a slight dusting of frost on his shoulders and Bunny was sure he managed to scare the kid, even if just a little. Leaning forward he grinned. "Dunh, dunh, dunh..."

Jack blinked a couple of times then laughed. It was a little nervous laugh but he put on his cocky grin to cover his nervousness. "You call that scary, Cottontail. Well it’s my turn now."

The stories went on into the wee hours of the night, each taking turns or poking fun at the other's story having a good old until Jack started yawning and stretched out of his blanket. By this time Bunny and North were reminising about their lives before becoming Guardians. Their grande adventures and mishaps, not noticing that Jack had fallen asleep with his staff tucked in his arms like some precious stuffed animal. His soft snores alerted North as he threw another log on the fire.

"He's asleep," he told Bunny in a hushed whisper.

Bunny glanced down at the sleeping sprite. "Blimey! He didn't even get in da tent. Thought dat was the whole point o'dis trip."

North only laughed as he draped a blanket over the boy. "No, Bunny. It's being with family he wanted. Camping just excuse."

That was true but Bunny was in the mood to tease the winter spirit a little more. He was pretty sure he hadn't scared the kid enough. "Eh, North, ah'll be back soon. Forgot something at ta Warren." He just grinned at North's questioning gaze before tapping his foot and jumping into the hole that appeared.

North shook his head as he tucked the blanket around Jack, making sure no part of it was near the fire. "Whatever Bunny is planning, I hope it doesn't give you too much of a fright." Once Jack was secured North went to his tent to retrieve his sleeping bag and set it up on the other side of the fire. He climbed in and settled in for the night. It wasn't long before he felt Bunny return and settle himself in for the night. He peaked one eye open, noticing the Pooka's old green coat. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what his friend would need it for. Dismissing it he went to sleep.

Unknown to the Guardians a small trail of black sand slithered from the deep shadows toward Jack's sleeping form. It brushed the hair at the nape of his neck and travelled along his cheek to his eyes where it diappeared.

Pitch moved away from the shadows, his eyes keeping an eye on the other Guardians as he knelt next to Jack. The boy made a small sound as he dreams turned to nightmares, but not of Bunnymund's story, as juicy as he was. Not camp stories, while often having a nice fright element to them, never could cause true nightmare, especially in teens. They were for fun and the listeners knew that going in. No Jack's fears hadn't changed much since their first encounter so Pitch knew exactly what he was looking for when he invaded Jack's dreams.

Another snowball fight with the children of Burgess, his first seven believers and the younger siblings and cousins. A few others that Jack didn't know were also playing. Jack was running between the older and younger groups, providing snowy ammo and helping the younger children build snowmen. He laughed and jumped around, pelted the older kids with snowballs. There was laughter everywhere.

"What a delightful little dream," Pitch said softly.

In the dream Jack paused for a moment, as if hearing a distant voice but shook it off when his first believer, Jamie Bennet, pelted Cupcake in the head. The larger girl gave chase and Jack laughed.

"You better run, Jamie," Jack teased, sweeping between the two teens. "She's gonna get you this time."

Jamie just laughed, ducking into a snow fortess where Monty and Claude were waiting. Jack jumped in too calling over his shoulder to Cupcake it was trap just before the boys hurled snowballs. He rolled in the snow laughing. "Oh, she's gonna get you guys back!"

Oddly none of them heard. It didn't bother jack at first until Claude reached right through him for more snow. Jack gasped in shock and scrambled back. "Claude?"

The dark skin boy didn't answer. "Hey, Caleb, what's up with your bro? Caleb?"

Caleb didn't answer either. Jack's eyes widened. "Guys?" Fear gripped Jack's heart as he stood up and waved a hand in front of first Caleb's then Claude's faces. His fear grew. He turned to Jamie, his first believer and best friend. "Jamie? Jamie please look at me."

Jamie turned and for a moment hope filled Jack. They were nearly the same height now but Jamie wasn't looking at him, he was looking through him to Caleb. "It's getting cold. Let's get some hot chocolate at my place," Jamie said to the others.

Jack stepped back. "No, no, no, no...this can't be happening," he whispered. To his horror Jamie walked right through him to catch up with the others, calling to Cupcake and the girls that they were heading to his place. Jack held his chest as he panted, panic filling him. "Jamie?" he called, tears coming to his eyes. He looked over to the younger children. "Sophie?" Not even the younger kids looked up at him. "Guys?" His voice became small as tears turned to ice in mid streamed.

"Oh, Jack. Poor, poor Jack," a silky voice said behind him.

Jack whirled around, his staff defensively in front of him. "Pitch! What have you done?"

Pitch leaned against the snow wall of the fort, inspecting his finger nails as the children ran past them, seeing neither. "Nothing. Aw...children forget so fast. Its heartbreaking really. You bring them winter fun and the moment they get distracted they forget all about you."

"That's not true," Jack objected.

"Isn't it?" Pitch looked up, a smile playing at his lips. "I should know. Your friends do it all the time, distract the children from the world around them. How else do you think they conquered fear? Bring in a little wonder and joy and off they go. Do you really think they'll believe in you forever, Jack? Oh, how adorable, you do."

"Jamie wouldn't forget me."

"Children grow up, Jack. They are such forgetful creatures."

Jack held his staff tightly, trying to ignore Pitch's words. "You're lying."

Pitch straightened to his full height, his smile growing sinister. "About what, Jack. Them growing up or being forgetful? Lets face facts. You've been a Guardian over five years now, is it? And all you have is that scrawny bunch of brats there, over half of which are now teenagers? How much longer do you think they'll keep their belief before grown up things take hold of them. Girlfriends and boyfriends? Cars, jobs. Its only a matter of time."

"Stop it!" A blast of winter magic filled the air.

Slipping into the shadows Pitch escaped the blast, moving until he stood behind Jack. Before Jack could turn Pitch grabbed him from behind, grasping his staff in both hands and forcing Jack's back against his chest. Jack struggled, trying to free himself and his staff.

"It doesn't need to be this way, Jack," Pitch breathed against his right ear. "My offer still stands. We can make them believe. Imagine, not just a small handle of children but thousands, billions even. Together we can accomplish what the Guardians have failed to do."

"No."

"Think about, Jack. Things will be so much better if you just give in." He let the smaller being go and again dashed into the shadows. Jack was breathing hard, moving in circles trying to find where he went. "Don't fear, Jack. I always get what I want in the end," his voice whispered from all around him.

Jack tried to pin point where Pitch was but before he could the ground gave out from under him and he was falling and blackness consumed him.

Jack inhaled sharply when he awoke. He placed a hand to his head, feeling tears pricking the back of his eyes but the memory of his dream quickly fled and after a shaky breath he allowed himself to open his head - and quickly wish he didn't. A huge dark figure with tinted goggles and green overcoat loomed over him. Sharp instruments were healed in one hand as the creature sneered at him. Jack screamed and scrambled back, instintively reahing for his staff to protect himself. But it was gone. The creatures holding it aloof in his other hand as he bent closer to the startled sprite. Every inch of him looked threatening, from the long ears pressed against its head to...wait, long ears? Jack blinked. Oh MiM, please no, he pleaded.

Bunnymund collapsed laughing. "Oh that was too sweet! Ya should 'ave seen yer face! It was priceless!" The pooka pushed his googles up to his forehead as he tried to gain some control over himself but after another look at Jack's perplexed and terrified face he was rolling in the sand laughing.

North looked up from his sleeping bag and grumbled that it was too early for such games but Bunny didn't seem to care. His laughter onlu growing until Jack found himself laughing as well.

"I'm so getting you back," he vowed, pouncing on the Pooka and wrestling for his staff back. "You just wait. You thought the blizzard of '68 was bad you ain't seen nothing."

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Chapter 3: Chapter 3   
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"This is the song that never ends," Jack belted out not really singing but making sure the song was as annoying as possible. "It goes on and on my friend. Somebody started singing it not knowing what it was..."

If Bunny could have covered his ears or even press them against his head he would have but as luck had it those weren't options. Jack had managed to catch before he could open a tunnel and froze him long enough to dig his own whole, shove the frozen Pooka in and bury him to his shoulders then froze his ears straight up. Then the sprite planted himself right in front of and started singing as he rocked back and forth, that cocky smile lighting his face. Every time Bunny's ears twitched he'd refreeze them and start singing louder. After twenty minutes Bunny was sure he was about to loose his sanity. The kid could have picked a different song at least.

Jack placed Bunny's goggles over his eyes as he started up again, this time with a little less enthusiasm, as if he was finally getting bored.

"Jack," North said, resting a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I think Bunny learned his lesson, no?"

Jack flopped onto his back, staring up at the large Russian in boredom. "I suppose." He flicked his staff toward the Pooka, calling back the ice and frost and yawned. "Serves him right for scaring me like that." He pushed the goggles up to his forehead, causing his hair to spike up.

North laughed. "I'm sure Bunny knows better now."

Bunny gave a snort as he dug himself free. "Yeah, yeah. Snowflake scares easy. Ah'll keep it in mine." He dusted off his coat with a devious smile. It was not the first or last prank they pulled on each other during the camping trip, nor the first time North had to break it up. It was all in good fun.

Jack laughed as he deposited his pack sack on his bed and staff against the wall when they returned to Santoff Claussen. He hadn't brought much for the camping trip, just a bit of clothes that North had insisted on. It still felt strange having more than the one outfit he had worn over 300 years so he didn't quite understand at first but did as he was told. A change of pants, shorts, a t-shirt or two and his faithful hoodie. They took up next to no room in the bag and weighed very little, at least when they left. Now it felt like a ton, but that was only because of the sea shells and rocks he had collected. He only started collecting a year ago, after coming to terms with having a home so he didn't have many. He pulled out his new ones and placed them on his dresser, making a mental note to clean them before putting them away. He frowned into his bag as he began removing the clothes. Everything was damp and covered in sand. They would have to be laundried but that could wait until morning.

It was late but Jack was too excited to sleep. He pulled out a sketch book, a gift from Bunny the previous Christmas after he discovered Jack's artistic talent and habit of drawing on any available surface when he couldn't frost the picture he had in mind. The fact that Jack had used up almost all of North's graphic paper one time had almost put him back on the Naughty List. So Bunny gave him a large leather bound book filled with blank pages just begging to be drawn on and an assortment of pencils, paints and chalk. The book was already almost halfway filled. Jack would have to ask for another one. Hopefully Bunny wouldn't mind.

Putting on his headphones he turned on his MP3 player - a gift from Jamie and Sophie - and set about sketching out Bunny in his stupid overcoat and goggles. Why Bunny owned them was beyond him and the Pooka never really answered when he asked, just smiled sadly, ruffled his hair - which Jack prompty objected to - and told him to keep the goggles, he had a few extra pairs in the Warren. He then folded the coat and stashed it in his tent.

Taking the goggles off - he had worn them on his forehead the last couple of days, mainly to tease Bunny but he saw the smile the older Guardian tossed him - he paid careful attention to the detailed work put into them. They, like the coat meant a lot to him so Jack wanted to show they meant a lot to him too. In all his years jack had never seen a goggles like these.

He was just beginning to work on Bunny's fur, his head bobbing to the music when he noticed something strange. Frost was moving a long the pencil to the page, following the lines of Bunny's fur and traveling outward. Jack cocked his head to one side and stared. Sure he spread frost from his fingers but usually he had better control of it. His gaze moved to his hand holding the pencil and gasped. He was expecting to perhaps see a layer of frost over his skin, that wasn't unusual when he lost focus what he wasn't expecting was to see his hand encased in ice. In fact, on better inspection it wasn't covered in ice - it was ice.

A gasped tore from his throat as he dropped the book and pencil on the bed and simply stared at his hand. It moved as it always did, fingers flexing and unflexing, wrist twisting left and right but each digit was solid ice, perfectly clear with a blue tint. With his normal hand he pulled out the ear plugs and turned off the MP3 player.

"Okay...that's new," he murmured. Eventually, with great concentration he was able to change his hand back to normal but it took more effort than he did for him to create a blizzard. He shuddered at the thought. What in MiM could have caused that? It was too late to wake up North about the odd experience but come morning he was going to bring it up. Maybe the Guardian of Wonder would have some insight to why any part of him would turn to ice. Sure he frosted when nervous or embarrassed but nothing like this.

Perplexed and exhausted, Jack laid back on his bed, questions racing through his mind. 300 years this had never happened. What could it possibly mean?

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Chapter 4: Chapter 4   
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That night Jack had one of the best and most refreshing sleeps that he could remember. He felt well rested, almost giddy and light headed and like a feather floating on a breeze, which was feeling he was used to but not usually when he first wakes up. He felt so good and so comfortable that he didn't want to move let alone open his eyes, but at last, his stomach growled and there was no ignoring it, not when at Santoff Claussen where the smell of breakfast was already wafting under his door and filling the room with the sweet smell of bacon and eggs.

Jack's stomach growled once more and that was all it took to make him crack an eye open, ready to climb out of bed.

Except he wasn't in bed...

Inhaling sharply Jack stared at his much too close ceiling for a moment before looking down at his bed far below him. He was floating, his staff still leaning against the wall and good four feet below him. Jack tried not to panic, he's been flying since the time he was reborn...but never without his staff. There wasn't even enough of a breeze for the Wind to lift him up. Nonetheless he called out to his old friend.

"Okay, Wind, put me down," he called but nothing happened. "Wind?"

So much for that thought. He rolled over in mid-air and stared at his staff. If his staff wasn't keeping him in the air and the Wind wasn't then how was he floating? If made no sense. Neither did his hand turning to ice the night before. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"Okay, focus Jack," he told himself, willing his body to lower back to his bed. It felt like a life time before his knees made contact with his cool sheets or any sense of weight met filled him again. Gravity finally took hold of him and he let out a sigh of relief. "That's way too strange," he muttered before standing on the hardwood floor. "Just what is going on?"

He cried out when he touched his staff, as if a shock ran through the antique wood through his arm. Letting go he rubbed his numb arm before trying again, more cautious this time. His hand hesitated a heartbeat before his fingers traced the wood. When nothing happened he wrapped his hand around he and hurried out of his room.

Flying was out of the question, he didn't know what would happen if he actually tried to use his magic, the way things were going he doubted it would be go. He rushed to the kitchen, fully expecting to see North sitting at the table eating breakfast as he waited for Jack. Instead he found the table set, the food served but no North. North would never let his food get cold. Jack was near panic. Where could North be? Fear filled him and he shot out of the kitchen, running down the long corridors and up stair cases, disregarding the left until he reached the Globe Room. There stood North and Phil studying the Globe of Belief with obvious confusion.

"Have you checked the rotation?" North was asking.

Phil wabbled something in the affirmative.

"Strange," North muttered stroking his long beard. "So many in such a short space of time."

"What's so strange?" Jack asked, peering above the globe to the skylight, hoping to see the familiar face of the moon.

North started and turned his deep blue gaze to Jack. His frown turned into a small fatherly smile. "Jack, why are you in 'jamas?"

Ignoring the question, Jack moved to the globe, trying to see what had North and Phil so concerned. New small blue lights shone on the globe, spreading out from Burgess to mix with the bright white ones. There were hundreds of them. He stared at them in confusion, trying to understand their importance.

"They are your believers," North explained with a smile. Anxiety still darkened his eyes.

"My believers?" Jacked asked in awe. There were so many lights, nothing compared to North's but enough to make Jack's heart flutter with joy. "H-how?"

North only patted him on the back. "It seem's young Jamie's website attracted more attention than any of us thought possible. Perhaps that is why it is so wide spread."

A huge smile spread across Jack's face and he was nearly dancing in excitement. North laughed at his antics until suddenly he found Jack pinned to the ceiling. "Jack?"

"Whoops," Jack muttered, blinking down at North. "I nearly forgot...I've got a bit of a problem."

Phil face palmed himself as he wabbled. Throwing up his hands he stalked off, presumably to get help while North shook with laughter.

"Not funny," Jack objected, trying to push himself off the ceiling. "I'm stuck."

Shaking his head, North moved to stand under Jack. "Let go of your staff. I'll catch you."

Unsure, Jack took a deep breath before letting of his staff, prepared to fall the moment it escaped his grip, but like in his room he was floating without it, no longer pressed to the ceiling but still too high for North to reach him. North's brows were raised as he stared up at the young spirit completely perplexed. He looked from the staff in his hand to it's owner and back again.

"North?" Jack asked. "Is this normal when you get new believers?"

"I don't know," the Guardian of Wonder confessed. "Dis has never happened before."

Jack whined. "That's not what I wanted to hear." He tried to concentrate, to focus on getting back to the ground. It was harder this time, know that he knew the reason. His excitement at finally having more believers made him feel so light hearted and happy, kind of like the tales of Peter Pan where a happy thought would make one fly. It was hard not to be happy but being trapped in the air wasn't so good and Jack seemed to have no control what-so-ever of this new ability. At least he didn't have to worry about Wind dropping him as she so often did but this was utterly ridiculous.

Phil sauntered in with a ladder braced on his shoulder. He gestured for North to move and set it up directly under Jack. Climbing up, he wrapped a large furry arm around Jack's waist and carefully pulled him down.

"Thanks, buddy," Jack said, thankful to have his feet on the ground. He was able to focus now. Cool wooden floor under his bare feet. He made his mind stay on that, repeated it mentally over and over. Cool wooden floor. Smooth. Safe. It was were he needed to stay. When Phil let him go - staying close enough to grab him should he float away again - Jack managed to stay standing. He smiled in relief until dizziness gripped him. He pitched forward only to have both Phil and North caught him. "I don't feel so good."

Hefting Jack's small frame into his massive arms, North took Jack back to his room. There was something wrong with Jack and something no right about the new believers. There were too many that appeared in too short of a time, especially considering winter was still months away for either hemisphere. It late Summer early Fall in the north and spring had already begun in the south. Only a handful of places had snow and these lights were appearing everywhere. Something was definitely wrong...he could feel it in his belly. His belly never lied.

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Chapter 5: Chapter 5   
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Breath, just breath. In and out, in and out, Jack silently told himself over and over again. He sat on the large sofa, bend forward, his elbows on his knees. Deep breaths. Focus on the ground. The sofa. Think of staying down.

He'd been doing it for an hour now. Just trying to concentrate on staying grounded and sitting still. It had been a chore to get changed, that light headedness causing him to loose contact with the ground. North stayed at his side the whole time, which was incredibly embaressing. The larger man sat next to him, an arm protectively around him, rubbing his back and helping keep him from floating off. The comfort was much appreciated if not making Jack a little warmer than he liked. He sighed and sat up a little straighter when he felt the familiar shifting of the floor. A moment later a rabbit hole opened and out popped Bunny.

The Pooka wrinkled his nose as he looked around then settled on his hind legs as he took in the sight of Jack and North. "What's up?" he asked, one ear raising in concern. He sniffed the air, his eyes widening. Confusion filled his eyes as he hopped toward the duo on the sofa. "Snowflake?" He rose a little, sniffing the child's face and hair before settling back and just staring at him, his nose twitching. He glanced up at North then back to Jack and took another longer sniff at Jack's cheek, his wiskers tickling Jack's ear. "What in MiM is going on? He's glowing!"

Jack pulled his hood over his head and huddled as deep inside his sweater as possible. "Am not." Breath, just breath.

"Yeah ya are," Bunny insisted, pushing the hood back. He froze. "My mistake, you're an ice cube. Explains the unusual cold."

Jack's eyes grew wide. He looked down at his hands. Sure enough they were crystal clear ice with that strange blue hue. He shook his head, willing his hands to turn back to normal. No, no, no, no, no... He looked up at North with big crystal blue eyes and nearly cried at the shocked expression on the man's normally jolly face. Jack held his breath as he made himself look down at his feet and ankles. They too were clear as crystal. "Why is this happening?" He tried to focus, tried to turn them back to normal but he was too frightened, too scared of what this meant.

"It's happening too fast," North declared, pulling the youth tightly against him. He inhaled sharply, as if burned when his hand met Jack's icy skin instead of the fabric of his hoodie. It stung as if burnt..or rather frost bitten. He shook his hand until feeling came back then settled for resting his hand on the sweater once more. "This is not normal."

"Obviously," Bunny noted. "Where's your staff?"

Jack gestured to North's desk across the room where it was propped up. Bunny turned to fetch it but North shook his head. "It's worse when he touches staff."

"Oh?" Now Bunny was thoroughly confused. "So...what happened?"

"It would appear Jack finally has believers," North explained.

"That's good...isn't it?"

"You'd think so," Jack muttered, hidden under his hood again and looking utterly miserable. He hugged himself and stared at his now almost completely see through feet. "You think MiM could have warned us."

"I doubt Manny knew this would happen," North assured, returning to rubbing the youth's back. "This is not a natural occurance."

"Course not, Frostbite," Bunny agreed, placing a paw on Jack's knee. He held back a curse at the frigid cold temperature of the child. Sure Jack was always unusually cold but this type of cold burned. He tried to casually pull his hand back without creating any hurt feelings. The ice was moving onto Jack's clothing. Soon every inch of him will be nothing but ice. This was bad, real bad. "When did this start?"

"Last night, but it was just my right hand and then this morning I woke up floating above my bed and..." Jack answered, his voice unusually soft as he huddled further into himself. Focus, breath. push it back, Jack kept telling himself. In, out, in out.

"Try to relax, Jack," North said encouragingly.

Jack nodded and focused on his breathing. He flexed his fingers and toes and bit by bit he pushed the ice away. He again focused on the floor beneath his feet and further out, his mind attaching to the snow and blizzard just outside. He sent the ice outside, letting it mix with the winter weather. Bit by bit his skin returned to normal. Nausea filled him but Jack fought it and leaned into North.

"That's my boy," North said, giving Jack a fatherly kiss on the forehead and squeeze.

Bunny climbed onto the arm of the sofa next to Jack and, after pulling down the hood once more, began stroking his messy hair. "So what could'a caused all dis? No one's ever gained that many believers all at once."

"Jamie created a website," Jack explained.

"A what?"

"Website. People go online to access it. Its all about us with sketches and bios and such. Its meant for kids and suppose to help gain us believers, especially me." He sighed. "He was launching it while we were gone. I just can't believe it had this kind of affect."

Bunny shook his head, although he didn't quite understand about going online - he'd heard about the internet and webites but had no use for them - he was certain it didn't work this fast. "Shouldn't have this kind of affect. Not so fast. Not unless Jamie has money to advertise the site. Nah, mate, dis is something else."

Jack sniffled. "It hurts."

Bunny gave a slight nod, glancing over Jack to North with sad eyes. "Yeah, Ah bet it will until you get some control over it. Don't worry, Jack, we ain't leaving ya. Ya ain't dealing with this alone."

Pitch laughed as he watched the three Guardians through his magic looking glass. Jack fear waft off him in delicious preparations. He drank it in like a fine wine. The poor little sprite , so young, so innocent, with no clue of the potential he held. Oh yes, it took time but figuring out just what would destroy Jack Frost was the very thing he desired so painfully much. A desire Pitch knew all too well for they shared it. But while Pitch was millenia above in years Jack was still a relatively new spirit, after all 300 years was nothing compared to Pitch. He knew what it was like to have a sudden power boost but a surprising increase in believers, after all it had almost allowed him to defeat the Guardians. He would be all powerful right now had Jack Frost not sided with them. Ah, but Jack, little Jack knew none of this. He only had a handful of believers and their affects to his power was next to nothing. It usually took hundreds of years to get to the level the Guardians were or the amount of believers they had. To suddenly have so many pretty much over night was to an immortal what getting high was to a human. That is, if Jack embraced it. But no, the boy had to be stubborn, he had to try to control it. No matter, all Pitch had to do was spread some more nightmares here and there, create some more believers...poor children utterly frightened of the ice demon Jack Frost. Yes, the children would believe in Jack Frost. They would believe and fear him and Jack will grow in power and eventually all the boy's desperate attempts to control his winter magic would be for not.

Swirling black sand between his fingers and sneered evilly at the youth huddled between the two older Guardians.

Soon, soon Jack Frost would be his and not even the Guardians would be able to stop him.

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Chapter 6: Chapter 6   
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"As ah see it ya just got a little too much energy. Like when North lets you have a little to much ice coffee of egg nog," Bunny declared after observing Jack for some time. He led the two to the balcony overlooking the vast expanse of ice anf snow of the North Pole. He pushed open the large double doors and bit back a curse at the cold. He hated the cold but this was the best he could think to do for the kid. "Ya just got it let it loose a little."

"Caffine and sugar does do this to me, Bunny," Jack objected from where he was tucked protectively under North's arm. "I've never turned to ice or just floated without my staff.

Bunny waved a dismissive hand. "Bah, sugar and magic. Not much diffence at times."

Jack stared up at North questioningly. The older Guardian only shrugged.

The Pooka wasn’t deterred, he pulled Jack out from under North's arm and outside. Nonetheless Jack kept his hood over his head and hands tucked in his pockets, shuffling his feet nervously as he stepped onto the stone porch. Snow swirled around him, the wind gently pulling at him, calling him out to play. He let a nervous smile cross his lips as he gaze out at all snow, watching the wind playfully toss his about. Every inch of him wanted to do the same.

"Ahh, sheila, let the anka'bitter be a bit," Bunny scowled the wind. Jack was already beginning to float upward, only Bunny's grip keeping him from being blown away. The wind backed away, sweeping outward to toss up even more snow, not happy at being denied its friend. Bunny shook his head in amusement. "Now just float around a bit and push all that energy out. Create yourself a blizzard of sorts."

"You won't leave?" But Jack's mind was already distracted by the snow and power building within him. He felt the now familiar tingle in his fingers and feet as his body starting to change again.

"Nah, mate. We'll be right here."

Then Jack was gone, launching himself off the balcony and into the white all around him. At first Bunny thought he misjudged, that Jack would have no control without his staff and would fall as he had a number of times before but not this time. This time Jack soared into the air, dancing around in mid air and playing with the wind which had grown with intensity, not quite as playful but surely more energetic. The clouds above grew heavier and the snow fell in thick and heavy, creating a virtual white out as the temperature dropped drasticly. North urged Bunny inside. They stayed seated at the large windows where Jack could easily find them and simply watched.

"Ah've seen Jackie's blizzards, North, but nothing like this," Bunny noted, accepting the towel a yetis offered to help dry off the melted snow coating his fur. "This beats '68 and he ain't even trying."

North was looking at the window, obviously trying to see Jack through all the snow with no luck. "I'm worried," the Russian confessed. "Is it really possible for him to gain so many believers in such a short amount of time? I expected another ten to twenty years before he'd reach this number. Jamie's website couldn't have caused this...could it?"

Bunny shook his head. "Nah, not like this. Manny would've warned us."

"Then what?" North turned to him, growing grew creasing his face. "Surely Pitch..."

"Why would Pitch wanna increase Jack's powers? Da kid already handed him is arse once." Bunny sighed, dropping the damp towel in the yetis outstretched on and accepting a hot chocolate from one of the elves. "Perhaps its an elemental thing. There's very few elementals who's ever served as a Guardian."

North only shook his head. "This does not feel right. I can feel it...in my belly."

Bunny smirked and turned his attention back to the raging storm outside. "Course, mate. Yer belly would know."

It was several hours later before Jack made an appearance again. The double doors flew open, wind blowing snow inside as a giggling Jack Frost stumbled in, catching himself on a low table before calling a thank you over his shoulder to the wind and closing the door. He bounced on the balls of his feet in front of North and Bunny, a huge grin on his face, making him look more happy and relaxed than he did all day.

Bunny stood, dusting the snow off the young Guardian's shoulders. "Yer looking a mite bit preckier than earlier, Snowflake. Feeling better."

"Oh yeah," the boy practically sang. "Whoa, stop that!"

Bunny began sniffling him again, this time able to circle his young friend and study his whole body. He inspected Jack's feet and hands, even pushed up the hoodie to check his back and stomach. No crystaline ice just a light dusting of frost wherever he touch. That was much better, no more stench of strong winter magic other than the usual.

"Hey! He, he, that tickles, quit it," Jack objected, patting away his hands.

"Ho, ho, seems Ah found Jackie boy's one big weakness, North." Bunny grinned deviously. "He's ticklish!"

"Am not! You're just...well furry and fur tickles..I mean..." Jack's eyes widened. "Oh no..."

Bunny lunged before Jack had a chance to duck and tickled him mercilessly. It wasn't just for his amusement although he wouldn't lie, having the kid pinned to the ground and nearly helpless in fits of laughable was funny as hell but he wanted to make Jack lose control of his power, if only for a moment and see what might happen. Jack giggled, thrashing underneath him and trying to shove his shirt down, but Bunny found the sensitive spots along his ribs and attacked them. When Jack managed to shove him back enough to roll over and try to crawl away, Bunny only pulled him back and got him worse.

"Okay, okay, I give!" Jack yelled.

With a deep breath, Bunny sat back, still straddling Jack's legs and watched him for several minutes as the boy caught his breath, looking for any tell-tale signs. Frost decorated the wooden floor directly under him, same with his cheeks and fingers, a soft blue hue on his lips. His hair was a little more disheveled - a given, but other than thought it was just they're usual Jack. No floating, no flash freezing, just a lot of panting and stuffled giggles. He stood and helped him up.

"What was that for?" Jack asked, straightening his hoodie and glaring at him.

"Just checking for frostbites," Bunny teased.

Jack threw up his hands in frustration. Glancing at North's smiling face and rushed over to his adoptive father. "So did you see it? Look at how much snow I dumped. I've never controlled that much before, even with my staff. It was like...like...it was really a part of me. I mean it did before but not like this. It was like it was right inside me trying to get out and when it did...poof. Six feet of snow in what...two-three hours! Six feet! I've never done that! And look at the windows..." He gestured wildly at the windows. Sure enough they were covered in a thin layer of frost. "I didn't even touch them. Not my best work mind you but still, that's incredible."

North held both Jack's shoulders and laughed merrily with him. "That is incredible, Jack. Well done, my boy. Now...how do you feel? Tired?"

Jack shook his head. "I feel great, better than great. I feel..." His stomach grumbled and Jack smiled shy. "Uhm...hungry?"

A good belly laugh came from North. "Now that I can understand. You've not eaten all day. Come, we'll have late lunch then discuss this new gift of yours, da?"

Jack nodded and without waiting for either Guardian turned to leave, automatically grabbing his staff along the way. A burst of winter magic shot from the crook, narrowly missing Bunny. He gave a yelp and dropped it, staring at his hand. He hadn't changed but his hand stung. Cautiously he ran a toe over the wood, when nothing happened this time he picked it up, shot Bunny a nervous smile and apology and shot out the door to the kitchen.

Bunny watched him in worry. This was going to take some time.

North patted his back. "Come, Bunny. Let's go eat. I'm sure Jack will adjust much quicker than we expect."

"Yeah." But that didn't stop Bunny from worrying. Believers just didn't appear like this, and this was what happened to jack with just a few hundred. He didn't want to see what would happen if that numbers sky rocketed again. Judging just by what the kid did in a short amount of time at the pole a sudden earth wide belief happened over night. Good MiM, that could lead to an ice age. Bunny shivered. Nope, no going to happen. There was no way he was letting that happen. Jack would learn complete and utter control of these new powers before it got that far.

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Chapter 7: Chapter 7   
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Pitch was furious. The whole point of increasing Jack's power was for him to lose control not find a way to expel it. He moved from one shadow to another, keeping out of sight as he watched the young Guardian. There was a number of things he just couldn't understand about the winter child. Yes, he was a Guardian and therefore his powers should come from children believing in him and while the power boost had - for a short time at least - had the desired effect, there was something he was missing. The boy obviously didn't need children’s' beliefs to survive, he drew the vast amount of his energy from his element. Regardless, Pitch was certain, with enough believers Jack would eventually lose control and if he didn't...well, he was ready for that too. After all he had seen the way the elements reacted to Jack's emotions and teenagers were notorious for sudden and unexplained mood swings. All he needed was the right conditions.

He swept through the shadows, wanting to observe the boy a little more before he returned to seeding nightmares throughout the world. He couldn't spread fear as wide spread as he had years ago but the odd child here and there was enough and sooner or later, with only a few nightmares every few nights or so, the children's fear of Jack will fuel their belief and unwittingly Jack. Then the boy would be his.

The sudden power boost and expelling didn't so much leave Jack drained as it did famished. He ate more food in one sitting than either North or Bunny had ever seen. Bunny had no clue where in that small, lanky body Jack could possible be storing it all. North was being no help, the moment the boy asked for something the man got it, no questionings asked nor advicing the boy to slow down and take it easy. Finally Bunny put his foot down, stopping North from pulling out a fruit cake - Bunny was sure Jack said he hated them - and getting him to sit down across from Jack.

"Jack, that's enough. You're going to be sick if you keep this up," Bunny scolded, taking the nearly empty fourth plate of food away and placing it on the kitchen counter.

"Bunny!" Jack whined, reaching after it, only to have North slip him a cookie. He smiled victoriously at Bunny as he started to munch on it.

Bunny shot North a death glare and huffed. "Really? After four plates full and MiM knows how many treats before dinner?" He shook his head in frustation, running a paw over his ears. "Ya spoiling 'im, mate."

A musical laugh met him and he shot a glare at Jack. The youth only stuck out his tongue before making a show of enjoying his cookie. "You're just jealous 'cause he loves me more," he teased.

Bunny's nose twitched and he was ready with a come back but he shoved it away. Jack was just trying to provoke him. Bloody lil' show pony. Taking a deep, calming breath - after all you didn't survive five years with the little whelp without learning some sort of relaxation technique - he sat at the table and took up his third cup of egg nog, happy that North had the fore thought to spike theirs and not Jack's.

"All right," he started, pointedly ignoring the smug look on Jack's face. "So until ya get a handle on this ya know what ta do, right?"

Jack rocked in his chair. "Course, bury you in snow."

"No...ratbag show pony. Never take nothing seriously," Bunny muttered under his breath, sorely tempted to kick the chair out from under the boy. "You -"

It suddenly got colder. "Gotta go," Jack sudden exclaimed, rushing off before either of his elders could ask what was wrong.

Leaning on his elbows Bunny rubbed his temples. "Bathroom throwing up or expelling energy?"

"Energy I fear," North said, standing and gathering the plates. He quickly scraped what little was left on them in the garbage then placed each in the dishwasher. "His fingers where starting to freeze over as he was eating the cookie."

"Should we go after him?"

"No, I'm sure this will be happening quite often until he gains control." His eyes rose to the staff still next to Jack's seat. "We will contact Manny and see what he says." Seeing the concern on Bunny's face as he eyed the staff he gave his friend a firm pat on the back. "Perhaps you would feel better looking after him. You know where his room is, da?"

"Yeah." He took the staff. It looked so ordinary and frigile without Jack's layer of frost decorating it. Absolutely harmless. It didn't sting or sparked when he grasped it, as it had its master. "Might spend the night. With 'im like this who knows what might happen. 'Sides, don't need you shoveling sugah down his throat. Brat's hyper enough as is."

North shot him a glare then laughed. "Boy is right. You're jealous."

Hopping toward the door, Bunny spared him one last glance. "Ya just wait, next time he's in the Warren Ah'll load 'im up in chocolate before sending him back to ya. Then we'll see how well he listens to you."

The only response he got was more laughter. Bunny shook his head and headed back upstairs before pausing and heading to Jack's room instead. There was no point in him dragging a branch around when its owner ddn't need it at the time. Besides, it's been a while since he'd been in Jack's room without him to stop him from snooping. Sadly, he was just leaning the staff against the wall when Jack swooped him, all his energy now spent.

The wind deposited the young spirit just inside the open window. Jack stumbled toward his bed, eyes droopy. "Okay, that was unexpected."

Bunny caught him as his knees gave out. "Finally expelled it all?" he asked, a little concerned by the sudden change.

"Yeah," Jack murmured, looking a little flush. No frost covered his cheeks but they had a little color which for Jack was uncommon. "And maybe a little bit of dinner when Wind blew me the wrong way."

"Ah tried to warn ya."

"Stop laughing."

"Not laughing, mate." Although he was grinning widely. He helped the boy to his bed and dumped him on the matress. "Alright, Snowflake, bed time. Yer staff's against the wall. Need anything else?"

The cocky little smirk just had to answer him. "Aww...sing me to sleep."

Bunny just snorted and shoved him back down on the bed. "Get yer scrawny butt under the covers or Ah'll tell Tooth and her swarm 'bout yer ticklish spots. And if that's not enough Ah'll inform Pitch. Ah'm sure he could use that as good nightmare material." He headed for the door, forgetting his earlier plans to poke around. A pillow made contact with the back of his head. Whirling around he glowered at the boy but rather than throw it back he tucked it under his arm. "Thanks, always can use an extra."

Jack blinked in surprise. "You're staying?"

"One of the guests rooms. Now get to sleep." He gaze turned to the window. A stream of golden sand came through the window and weaved its way to Jack. "Perfect timing."

Before Jack could respond dreamsand brushed against his eyes. Jack yawned and snuggled under his blanket. "'Night," he called before slipping into a deep sleep.

Funny how when he was asleep the little monster looked like an angel. Bunny placed the pillow back on the far too large bed for someone of Jack's stature. He took an extra moment to look Jack over, focusing on the little blush of color he had when he first came in. It was gone now, covered by a thin layer of frost. After the heat stroke incident he was always checking Jack over whenever he was a little off. With any like this increase in power won't prove to be too much of a challenge for the small winter sprite. Whatever happens his family would be there for him.

Brushing a paw through Jack's snowy white hair he smile. "Good night, snowflake."

Hours passed and Jack dreamed in peace. He hugged one pillow like a teddy bear, his mind far away on some adventure. Golden sand danced above his head snowing, as usual, a grand snowball fight. Deep shadows, not expelled by the moon's light through the overhead skylight began to move and reform. Pitch took shape and stepped further into the room. His amber eyes swept around, taking in the room. He'd visited a few times now, bring Jack the odd nightmare. Nothing serious, he didn't have the strength to truly terrorize anyone let alone a Guardian. Tonight, though, tonight would be different. With the nightmare he was sent out to the various children throughout the world he was sure experimenting with Jack's dreams would prove to have interesting affects on his powers. If it did then he would make his move. If not...well believers could be taken away just as quickly as they're created. Either way it would pain the winter child.

Looming over the child he touched the golden sand, letting his black nightmare sand mix with it until it turned black as well. Jack whimpered in his sleep as the nightmares took over. His knees came up to his chest and he curled into himself. Pitch was a little disappointed, it was the same fears as usual. The fear of having no believers so Pitch twisted it a little. He added more children, put Jack in a claustraprobic situation where they were everywhere and he was trapped yet no one could hear him, no one could see him and the boy began to panic.

Pitch snickered as he stroked Jack's cheek. "Oh, my sweet little Jack," he cooed, sitting next to his head. "You really should have joined him. Although I won't lie, this would've hurt either way." Jack just whimpered more, his small hands pressed against his chest. "Don't fear. When this is all over you'll be where you really belong, at my side. Together we'll finally end the Guardians."

He was sorely tempted to whisk the boy away now but it would not do. He wanted the Guardians to see Jack lose control. He wanted their fear as well as Jack's and the children's. If he could stay patient just a little longer it would all pay off.

Twirling a little nightmare sand between his fingers before sending to Jack. "Sweet dreams, Jack."

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Chapter 8: Chapter 8   
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Of all the crazy dreams Jack had this took the cake. He was in what he assumed to be an old house...his childhood home. In his and his sister's bedroom to be precise. It was empty, deserted. Or so it seemed. He instinctively wanted to searched for his family, knowing they weren't there but still needing to see them. It’s been 300 years since he saw them. Would they be able to see him, even if only in a dream? Before could reach the door it slammed shut. He tried the handle but it only shook and turned but never unlatched. He pulled as hard as he could but it did no good, it was jabbed. A pang of fear gripped him. He turned toward the window but there no longer was one.

"Pitch," he called out. "I know you're here. Stop this."

There was no response. The candle on the dresser flickered, casting deep shadows in all directions. Jack held his staff defensively in front of him. This was worse than when Pitch had him surround in his lair. That cavern had been large and even cornered he didn't have that claustraphobic tightness in his chest. This room was maybe ten feet by ten feet at best. With the door locked and window mysteriously gone it felt much smaller.

Small shadow figures peeled from the walls, forming into small children. Dozens of them, all reaching out to him, all crying for help. Jack froze in fear. Shadow children. Fearlings. These were the children Pitch stole and changed into Fearlings. They were as good as dead, lost to their families and ruled by Pitch. Tears pricked at Jack's eyes. He couldn't attack kids, it was his job to protect them.

Hands, some so small they could only be toddlers, grasped at him, their touch so searing hot it almost brought Jack to his knees. They called to him, beg him not to leave them, to help them and join them. So many voices, so many children, each one burning him with their touch but he couldn't fight back. Instead he screamed.

Bunny prided himself on being a strong warrior. He thought he'd experienced it all. He was even able to move past that whole changing into such a tiny form after battling for the children five and a half years ago. Hell, he had dealt with the genocide of his race and while it still hurt he could deal with it. Having Jack Frost in his life brought new and sometimes unexpected hardships, but he loved the boy. He was the little brother he didn't know he wanted and would protect him to his dying breath. It worried him when something was wrong with the child and this unexpected boost in his magic just left Bunny laying wide awake mulling it over. There had to be a logical explaination, something he and North hadn't taken into consideration. He was tempted to call Sandy and ask for advice but the dreamweaver was far too busy and had moved on to other places in the world. Maybe if he got a lull in his job, perhaps while crossing the ocean. Sandy was their oldest and perhaps wisest Guardian. If anyone knew what was happening to Jack and why it would be him.

He settled deeper into his covers and tried closing his eyes. It was going to be one of those nights. He was just reaching for the small bag of dreamsand Sandy had given him in case of restless nights when it happened. A shrill scream from one room over. Jack's room.

Forgetting sleep, Bunny threw off the blankets and raced to the boy's room. He shoved the door open to find utter chaos. Jack was floating above his bed. Wind whipped around the room, tugging at him as it knocked his treasures off shelves. Blankets were floated just under him. But Jack had no control, he wasn't even conscious, yet he screamed as if truly and utterly terrified of something so horrid that he couldn't escape.

"Jack!" Bunny yelled up to him, trying to awaken him. It was no use. The kid was too far gone. He had no choice. Grabbing a heavy blanket he leapt toward Jack. He threw the blanket around Jack, wrapping it and his arms around the child and weight dragging him down. The bed protested to their hard landing. If may have been the wrong move. Frigid energy exploded from Jack, freezing the blanket and rocketing outward. The sound a cracking filled the air. Bunny glanced up, his eyes wide as the windows began to crack. "Oh crickey!" He wrapped himself around Jack, tucking the boy under him just before the windows shattered.

Shards of glass fell, cutting into Bunny's fur. He grunted when he felt a few lodge into his skin. He felt the warmth of blood ooze down his arms but even after the last of the glass fell he stayed where he was, unsure if he could move just yet or not. Jack slowly calmed in his arms, a few deep breaths filling Bunny's ears. The Pooka grunted in pain as he lifted his head to peer down to see wide crystal blue eyes peering back up at him.

"Bunny?" Jack asked before prompty passing out again.

Bunny leaned his forehead against Jack's and took a deep breath. He had to get them out of this. Snow was already accumilating in the room, a full out blizzard without windows to keep it at bay. His muscles protesting, Bunny hefted Jack and the blanket up in his arms and headed for the door. North was right there, making his way to the two, his eyes wide in confusion.

"What happened?" he asked, staring at the shattered windows and sky light.

"Don't know," Bunny grunted, shoving his way past. "Send for Sandy and Tooth. This is way bigger than we thought, mate."

North shut and locked the door. He'd investigate to room later when the weather was safer for everyone. "Go to infirmary. Your back needs to be treated."

"Nick," Bunny snapped, turning on him. "Jack is out of control. We need to focus on that." 

"Aster..."

He shook his head and looked down at the child in his arms. Jack hung limply from his arms, only his shallow breathing an indicator of life. "It's Pitch. It has to be."

"Pitch is gone," North tried to assure as he gently guided Bunny along the corridor to the infirmary.

"We thought that before." It had to be Pitch, there was no other explaination. "Anka'bitter was having a nightmare, nasty one it seems. Ah couldnah wake him."

North stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps you are correct."

Pitch waited until the door was locked and secured before materializing in the center of Jack's room. A huge grin lit his face. The storm had dissapated somewhat. The sheer velocity of it had been beyond what he expected, especially since the boy was unconscious at the time. This all due to another thousand or so believers. Just a small handful compared to the rest of the Guardians but still so much more than what Jack was used to. If he could create this much damage with such a measley number and a simple nightmare than a million would surely wipe out Santoff Claussen and maybe the Northern Territories. Oh, this was going to be so much fun. Perhaps he would be taken Jack much sooner than planned. But first he had to figure out how to direct Jack's powers. It would do him no good if he couldn't control the boy.

He moved through the room, taking an interest in the youth he intented to possess. There had to be something here that could help him. The snow was deep, covering the entire floor and furnishings. His foot bumped against a large book. Raising a brow he knelt down and scooped it up. A sketch book, over half way full of drawings. Pitch smirked. The kid had talent, but it was something he'd look more into later. He tucked it under one arm.

There, half buried in snow near the onsuite, was Jack's discarded staff. Pitch grabbed it and moved back into the shadows. If wasn't as if Jack needed it anymore, yet Pitch was sure Jack was still attached to it. Whether needed or not, Jack was unlikely to give it up willing.

 

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Chapter 9: Chapter 9   
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Jack was not happy. He sat on one of the bed in the infirmary, his blanket still wrapped tightly around him, feet fold yoga style under him, every inch covered but his face which the blanket over his head cast into shadow. It wasn't because he was could - he was always could, or even too warm, he just wanted to hide and Bunny and North wouldn't let him out of their sight. So he hid under his blanket and watched as North carefully removed shards of glass from Bunny's back, shying away each time the Pooka cursed.

This was his fault, Jack thought bitterly. He didn't remember what happened, just unspeakable, crushing fear then waking up in Bunny's arms as he was carried to the infirmary. No one wanted to tell him what happened, how Bunny got hurt but all things considered Jack was pretty sure he had lost control and something bad happened. Why else would Bunny be injured?

He huddled under the blanket more and slowly brought up one hand. A whimper escaped him. "Not again," he whispered to himself. Again his hand was like crystal. No matter of concentration changed it back this time and Jack was certain that the rest of his body was the same. Moaning softly, he hugged the blanket to him. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

Bunny's left ear twitched and rotated toward him. A heartbeat later Bunny was trying to peer inside the blanket to see Jack. "Frostbite? Ya 'kay?"

Jack tried to pull back. "Yeah," he lied. "You?"

Emerald eyes narrowed as Bunny sniffed. "Yer lying."

"I'm.."

"Sweet tooth," Toothiana cried, zooming into the room and lunging for Jack.

Bunny managed to intercept and pull her away. "Not now, Tooth," he reprimanded only to have her wiggle away and float to the bundled child.

"Jack, sweetie, are you not feeling well?"

There was a muted sigh before Jack's voice again said he was fine. Bunny huffed but let in go as Sandy floated into the room. Tooth on the other hand was hovering worriedly infront of the bundle of blankets.

"Oh, honey, why are you hiding? Is it too warm in here? North maybe we should open the windows if Jack's too warm. That blanket can only hold inso much of his body heat," the tooth fairy suggested, fussing around the blanket, still trying to look inside the make shift hood. "We can bring in some snow and -"

"Tooth," North said firmly. "Let Jack be."

She shot him a look before promptly ignoring him and fussing over Jack more.

"Tooth, I'm fine," Jack insisted.

"Then me see you."

"I'm fine."

“Jack, I'm worried."

Bunny shook his head, tempted to stop her but also knowing Jack would crack faster under her pressure than anyone else's and turned his focus back to Sandy as North explained the situation. Sandy listened intently, surprise but extremely focused. He touched his small chin thoughtfully before a series of symbols appeared in golden sand above him. His hands moved around too, as if their movements would help explain the symbols.

"Nah, mate," Bunny said, shaking his head. "Ah couldn't smell Pitch anywhere." Then he stopped ans thought about it a little more. When he burst into Jack's room he hadn't even taken a moment to sniff around, he was more interested in getting to Jack. "Perhaps...Frostbite, time to come out of hiding." He turned to Jack and hopped over.

"Bunny, no..." the child whispered, trying to hide his face now.

The Pooka wasn't having any of it. He gasped both edges hiding Jack's face and yanked it back. A curse left him when he saw the boy was once again an ice statue. Jack's crystaline body was clear as glass with the exception of the unique blue hue. Bunny knew better than to touch him this time and simply sniffed his hair and cheek. Jack's eyes were tightly closed, as if he didn't want to see the others reaction.

Tooth gasped in shock, her tiny hands flying to her mouth. "Oh, Jack..." she whispered.

Sandy floated over, disregarding North's warning, he brought a hand to Jack's cheek, wiping away small diamond like tears. The cold didn't bother him like it did the others. He didn't feel temperatures like most. Jack looked up at him, first in surprise than relief and happiness. He pushed off the blanket enough to pull the smaller Guardian into a much needed hug that led to small sobs from the youth. Sandy hugged him back and rubbed soothing circles on his back.

"We need to speak to Manny," North said, leaning against on of the many bed. "There has to be a reason this is happening."

Bunny sat on his hunches, a hand reassuringly on Jack's blanket covered knee. "Sandy's right. Pitch has been around. Ratbag prob'ly affecting his dreams to cause the sudden lash out while he was sleeping. Most likely 'fecting kids' dreams all over, too."

Tooth reached out for Jack before sighing and hugging her hands to herself. "But why? Why make Jack so powerful so soon? Why give him believers?"

"Bunny..." Jack whispers suddenly but Bunny's focus is elsewhere.

"Ah don't know. Maybe ta make him unstable."

"Bunny..."

"So far he has little to no control and after last night-"

"Kangaroo!"

Bunny glared up at Jack who stared down at him wide eyed. Sandy was throwing up symbols above his head. The ground suddenly shifted, as if shaking in an earth quake. A low rumbling filled the air and things began falling off shelves. The yell of panicked yetis and elves filled the hall above. North swore, grabbing a wall for support. Tooth buzzed around in confusion.

Jack doubled over. "No, no, no...I can't...Bunny, I got to get out of here before..."

Without a thought, Bunny threw the blanket back around Jack and held him tight. "North, a globe," he ordered.

The Guardian of Wonder didn't ask questions, just passed him a magic globe. The shaking got worse and the sound of protesting, creaking boards and breaking glass was soon heard.

"Antarctica!" Bunny yelled at the globe before shattering it on the floor. Picking up Jack, he jumped through.

The moment Jack was gone the earth quake ceased and everything in the workshop became deathly silent.

. . .

Frigid icy air was the first thing to meet Bunny as he and Jack landed in the frozen tundra of the Antartic. Wind whipped at them far more harshly than it had at the Artic. It wouldn't take one long to freeze to death under such conditions, well anyone who wasn't Jack Frost. Bunny teeth chattered as he gently pulled the blanket off Jack, letting him rest against his beloved snow.

"Snowflake," he called as the boy just lay on the ground for a moment. He wrapped the cold blanket around himself seeing as Jack really no longer needed it. Hopefully his own body heat will warm him up before his paws froze off. "Jackie?"

Jack blinked. "Wha...whoa!"

The blizzard grew in intensity as Jack stood, as if attracted to the young winter sprite. He raised his crystaline arms and let it swirl around him. He glanced back down at Bunny. The Pooka was shivering uncontrollably, his ears tucked against his head as he tried to take shelter under the blanket.

Jack knelt in front of him. "You can't stay here."

Bunny shook his head. "Not leaving you, kid," he objected.

He was touched, he really was but Bunny couldn't handle these temperatures. He was meant for warm weather not minus forty degree weather. Jack gazed past Bunny to the slowly closing portal. Grabbing Bunny's covered shoulders and gave his best friend a small sad smile. "Yes, you are."

With that he shoved Bunny as hard as he could backward, watching as Bunny tumbled back into North's workshop. The portal closed with a snap behind him and Jack was alone. Pushing back the sobs that thought brought him - he really didn't want to be alone, especially with all the confusion surrounding him right now - he tried to focus on expelling all the extra energy. At least here no one would get hurt. He only hoped he had done the right thing and that Bunny and the others were okay, that he didn't accidently destroy North's workshop. Yeah, as much as they loved him, Jack was sure North wouldn't forgive him if Santoff Claussen collapsed because his rampaging powers caused the ice to shift to much.

The bitter thought caused the glaciers around him to shift and moan. Jack didn't bother trying to stop it. He needed to expell the energy and if it meant shifting glaciers around then so be it. It would be the first time he'd consciously done that and the first time at such a large scale. Letting the energy pull him into the air he let it take control and spread out from inside him. The wind picked up but it didn't pull him around, instead making him the center as it spread outward. The icy tundra moaned and groaned, rising beneath him to reform, its ice hardening more as it conpressed upon itself. Jack felt it all even if he had no control over what it did. The icy water, slushing against the ice became one with it, expanding out for miles.

. . .

Bunny cursed as he landed back in the infirmary but he had to admit, the warmth was welcomed even if he was only in the Antartic for a handful of minutes. He dumped the chilly blanket on the ground and shook himself off. His ears felt as if they were frozen. His hind leg scratched at it, trying to get some feeling back.

"Everything okay here," he asked, shaking his head only more.

"Aye," North grumbled, picking up a broken vial from the ground. Yetis were already moving about the room cleaning and checking for damage as Bunny was sure they were doing everywhere in Santoff Claussen. "Is Jack..."

"Fine," Bunny confirmed, bringing himself up to his full height. "Brat shoved mah back through 'fore Ah 'came a Pookicle."

North on nodded, throwing the broken glass in a nearby trash bin.

Tooth was fluttering about the room in ovbious worry. "Should we be leaving him there? Antartica isn't the safest place for a child. Even if Jack can handle to cold he's all alone and-"

"Tooth," North caught her and finally made her stay still for a moment. "Jack visits the Antartic all the time, he's been doing it for over three centuries. He'll be fine."

Sandy gave her a thumbs up.

"Regardless, Ah don't want to leave 'im there too long," Bunny interjected. "Not if Pitch is after 'im."

Tooth's head bobbed up and down. "He shouldn't be alone."

"An half hour," North conceded. "Then I'll go get. For now I want to check lights. Santoff Claussen should not have shaken like that."

True, Bunny thought. The ancient fortress had survived centuries without even the slightest tremor. It had stood up to countless battles. But they never had a winter spirit here before, let alone one with unfathamable powers suddenly out of control. Considering the fortress was built into the ice it was only logical that the ice might shift if Jack made it, even if unconsciously.

When they reached Globe Room almost everyone was taken away by the amount of new of tiny blue lights. All their eyes stared up at it. North sat down, the sudden knowledge turning his face ashen, almost like the day, over five years ago, when the lights began going out. Tooth fluttered around the globe, looking at it from every angle while Sandy simply stared at it.

"Over a million," Tooth reported, floating to North. "Maybe more. This doesn't make sense."

Bunny felt his heart tighten. This made no sense. Why? Did Pitch know that Jack could potentially destroy Santoff Claussen without even knowing it? With only a million believers? But there were billions of kids. He felt suddenly colder, colder than even in the Antartic. If billion of kids suddenly believed in Jack before he could control his powers... MiM helped them. They had to stop Pitch and now.

"Sandy," he called to the golden dreamweaver. "Can you monitor all the kids' dreams?"

Sandy gestured at the globe, at how wide spread the blue lights were and the huge gapes between. Only one or two per town and village. They weren't clustered where Sandy could fix them easily. Pitch was obviously taking better precautions, just touching the odd dream here and there every night. But it quickly added up. Sure sandy could go and fix the dreams, maybe tone down the amount of believers for Jack, although losing any believers pained the Guardians, but there was no stopping Pitch from touching dreams when Sandy was done in one area. There was no stopping this without confronting Pitch head on. And they had no idea where Pitch's new opening to his lair was. Until they found that they were completely and utterly screwed.

. . .

The roar of the wind died down as the last of the energy left Jack. That small sense of giddiness filled him as he continued to float in the air. His hair whipped around his head as the last of the ice left his body, leaving his pale skin back to its usual parler. He felt light headed, as if everything everything was swept away from him. No worries touched his mind. He just floated, light as a feather, his eyes closed and a smile adorning his lips. He could stay like this forever. Unfortunately that little voice in the back of his mind tugged at him, telling him it was time to go home. He slowly floated back to the ground.

"How are you enjoying my gift, Jack," Pitch's silky voice whispered from directly behind him.

The light headedness make Jack's reaction time slow. He didn't have a chance to turn or defend himself before Pitch's arms were around him, one hand around his chest, the other under his chin. His arms were pinned and shadows moving up his legs. He concentrated on shifting into his ice form but couldn't, his body too drained after expelling the excess magic.

The hand under his chin began stroking his cheek as his head was tilted back to look up at amber eyes. "Imagine my surprise at seeing the sheer amount of damage your power could do with just a few believers," Pitch purred, his lips brushing against Jack's forehead, like a doting parent praising their child. "Over a million believers, a sheer handful in Guardians standards, and you nearly reshaped the North Pole."

"Over a million?" Jack breathed, staring at Pitch in disbelief.

Pitch hummed approvingly. "And just look at what you've done here." He gestured out to the vast tundra. Jack didn't have to look, he knew.

"Let me go, Pitch," Jack demanded, trying to pull away.

Pitch yanked him back tightly. "Now why would I do that? Oh, you have no idea how much it excites me to see such potential. I always said nothing going better than cold and dark."

"I won't join you," Jack insisted, trying to struggle. "The others are coming for me."

"Why would they? You've almost completely destroyed North's little fortress. You think he really wants you back there?" He grasped Jack's chin and made him look at him once more. "They fear you, Jack. They fear what will happen if you get any more believers. The one thing you want so bad and they now want to deny you." He ran his fingers along Jack's cheek, his thumb over pale lips. Jack tried to pull away but Pitch kept a firm hold. "I won't deny you, Jack. I'll help you get believers."

"No! Stop it!" The wind howled with Jack's cry.

A portal began to open meters away. Pitch sneered at it, wrapping his shadows tighter around Jack, causing the boy to cry out in fear. Jack ripped his face away from Pitch's fingers, ignoring the bit of the Nightmare King's finger nails as he turned to the portal just in time to see North passing through.

"NORTH!" he screamed just before darkness enveloped him and he went limp in Pitch's grasp.

"Jack!" North yelled, seeing Pitch and his shadows and nightmare sand swirling around Jack.

Pitch held the winter spirit close to him and grinned at North. "He's mine now,North," he sang, his voice filled with laughter before he and Jack disappeared.

"No!" the Russian bellowed, swords drawn as raced to where the dark spirit once stood. He fell to his knees, grasping at the last of the black sand, but it was too late. Pitch and Jack were gone. He grasped fist fulls of snow and bent foreward, his fur hat brushing the snowy tundra. "No..."

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Chapter 10: Chapter 10   
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Never before had the Guardians seen North so enraged. They'd seen him upset, even made but nothing like this. He stormed past them, a snarl about Pitch taking Jack, which upset them all, then went straight to the armory. He was a man on a mission and no one could stop him long enough to get the whole story. Pitch had taken Jack and that was all that mattered. The large Russian was grabbing knives and crossbows, anything he could strap to his body as he prepared for his hunt for Pitch.

"We don't even know where the door to his lair is," Tooth tried to reason with him.

North shrugged her off. "We go to Burgess."

"He'll be expecting that, mate," Bunny interjected. His anxietywas high too, it was the reason he didn't want to leave Jack alone. He knew something bad would happen, but he kept that to himself. "We need to think this through." He shied back when the large man glared at him.

"We go to Burgess," the usually Jolly man growled. "Begin search there." He pushed past them and headed down to the stables, bellowing to the still frantic yetis to prepare his sleigh. "No one takes my son."

Bunny would have brought up the fact Jack wasn't really North's son, but the way he clenching his swords instead of putting them back in their sheaths made him think better of it. There would be no reasoning with North until he calmed down. Nor was he going to get away with taking his tunnels and at this time it was probably best he didn't. There was no telling what might happen with North in such a mood. Sandy and Tooth followed close behind, Tooth still trying to get North to see reason. It was no use.

. . .

Pitch swirled nightmare sand between his fingers as he watched Jack sleep. The boy was in a deep sleep, almost comatose, his consciousness just within reach of Pitch's nightmares. At first he thought that perhaps he could control the child, make him use his powers to spread a sea of snow storms but Jack wouldn't participate, instead bundling the energy within him to keep it from lashing out. It was painful to watch. The child was causing himself unnessasary pain trying to contain it and Pitch had been forced to put him under. With Jack's focus solely on his raging powers he put up no fight. As soon as he fell unconscious the energy unleashed itself and a winter unlike any other hit Russia and spread outward. Satisfied by test Pitch moved Jack Egypt. Russia was naturally cold almost all year but if he could bring winter to some place as hot as Egypt then the world would fear an potential ice age was on its way. It would prove just how powerful Jack was or if more believers were needed.

They emerged from a shadow under one of the pyramids as the sun was setting. The stuffling heat made Jack moaned in his sleep and breathing wheezy. Rather than lay the boy on the hot sand Pitch formed a platform out of his nightmare sand and placed his body there and not too soon. His small body was changing into it's ice form. Frost crept from his toes, up his legs to encompass his entire form before hardening into diamond hard ice to protect him from the heat. Pitch hummed in appreciation as his clothing changed as well. He never would have expected this. In Russian he hadn't truly changed forms, just a heavy layer of frost here and there.

The temperature dropped slightly but nothing else happened.

"Now, Jack, you should know by now you can't defy me," Pitch cooed, his sand creeping over Jack's icy body, the cold not bothering it in this form. Yes, Jack's new form was frigid and for anyone else touching it would be like touching dry ice, the sting unbareable but Pitch moved in shadow and shadows could grace anything. If the cold were directed at the sand then it would freeze but not like this. The sand inched it's way to Jack's face, brushing along his frozen eye lashes before disappearing.

Pitch grinned as the boy moaned, a seed of a nightmare growing within his mind. It took only a minute or two before the weather began to change, growing cold and windy. Nature fought against the winter magic, trying to stop Jack from creating a winter storm the completely wrong part of the world where snow never touched it. Jack thrashed on the platform, trying to fight against himself. More nightmare sand moved to hold him down.

"Oh, Jack, you're just hurting yourself," Pitch chided. He twirled more of the nightmare sand toward him, pushing it into the child's mind and creating a series of nightmares, one after another, going deeper and deeper into Jack's mind until he could fight no more, fear gripping his very soul.

Jack screamed in agony and the wind hawled in response. Sand flew up, swirling into the darkening sky. That night Egypt experienced their first snow storm and below freezing temperatures. Pitch couldn't have been more delighted. The amount of fear from Egypt and surrounding countries fueled Pitch. It was better than spreading fear to children. He had people of all ages terrified by the storm. All thanks to Jack.

He stared lovingly at Jack. Oh yes, the boy had potential. Together they could bring fear unlike anything seen since the Dark Ages. He stroked Jack's now wet hair, his ice form dispelling as the temperature dropped. The exertion had caused the boy to heat up a little and begin to sweat. It was freezing quickly but his hair was extremely soft to the touch and Pitch took advantage of it.

"Such a good boy," he said gently, retracting his nightmare sand. "I think you deserve a little reward."

Jack groaned softly as the sand moved away from him, a hand going to his forehead. He stomach lurched as shadows swarmed around him and he and Pitch were transported to Pitch's lair. He stumbled when he suddenly found himself standing, Pitch's arm around his waist as his knees gave out from under him. He found his cheek pressed against warm silk, a hand combing through his hair while he was held. Despite how long he was unconscious he was still exhausted, too tired to due more than try to push against Pitch in an attempt to escape. When that took too much effort he gave up and just let Pitch hold him.

"You fascinate me, Jack," Pitch said gently, smiling when Jack stopped fighting him. He moved the arm from around his waist to just below his shoulders, making himself more comfortable, their height difference an bit of an issue. He expected the child to try pulling away again but Jack didn't. He actually clung to the fabric of his coat shaking like a leaf. "Shh...you're doing very well."

He did push away then, stumbling back a few steps and tripping over a step to land on his rump. He scrambled back a few more steps. "What have you done to me?"

Pitch smiled sweetly. "Why I gave you what you wanted...believers."

Jack shook his head. "No...you did something else. This isn't right."

With a chuckle Pitch knelt before him. "You don't want believers? After all my hard work? How dissapointing."

The child's bottom lip trembles. "Why does it hurt so much?" He flinches as Pitch touches his shoulder.

"It's a learning curve. I'll help you."

"You're lying," Jack said firmly, his mouth set in a hard line. "You're trying to scare children."

Pitch shrugged. "Perhaps. It's working."

Understanding filled Jack's eyes. "You're making them scared of me!" He pulled back, pushing himself against a wall. "You're making them believe in me by scaring them then...then making lose control to help spread that fear!"

The Nightmare king only laughed. "My dear boy...you're much smarter than I gave you credit for." He loomed over Jack. "Nonetheless, I have no intention of stopping now. As we speak my Nightmares are spreading belief in you world wide. Not even sanderson can stop them. I won't make the same mistakes as before. I won't concentrate my power in one area at a time. Soon the world will fear us and will be more powerful than even you thought possible."

"I'll fight you," Jack promised.

Pitch only smiled. "You'll try," he said, standing. "And if you become too much of a problem I can always change you into a Fearling. Then I will completely be in control of your powers. A little daunting but if I must."

Hugging himself, Jack watched him, a question burning in the back of his mind. "They're children, aren't they?"

Pitch raised a questioning brow. "Beg pardon?"

Jack hugged his knees to his chest, staring off at the dark shadows dancing along the far walls. "Your Fearlings. They're children."

"Some. Others were men and women. But they've never had a Fearling Prince. Continue to fight me and they soon will." With that Pitch turned on his heel and left Jack to hide in his corner. Either way he'd win, Jack just hasn't realized it yet. Pitch's lafter filled the large carvern as the shadows danced against the walls and Fearling whipped in glee, moving around Jack and brushing his bare feet as if calling him to join them.

Jack hid his face against his knees and tried to hide from them. The Guardians are coming, he told himself. They won't leave me here.

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Chapter 11: Chapter 11   
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The freak snow storms in Russia and Egypt had the Guardians spilting into two teams to try and find Jack. Tooth and Sandy stayed together in order to search and try to preformed their duties and dispell fears as North and Bunny searched with the sleigh. Anywhere strange weather was reported they hurried to but always too late. None of the locations made sense and would bounced from one side of the world to the other then reverse. Six storms in total which were started to collide to create one big super storm. If that happened not even Jack would be able to disperse it.

And there was no trace of the opening to Pitch's lair. They had search every inch of the forest around Burgess with no luck, but the Earth was a large place and it could be anywhere. Phil was monitoring the large, trying to locate the largest cluster of believers. Pitch would be located somewhere close to there. So far, he narrowed things down to England, in between two of the spreading storm. There was already a heavy fall of snow. It hours the storm would be on it and any traces of the lair covered.

North steered the reindeer in that direction and opened a portal. Time was not on their side.

. . .

Jack was on his hands and knees on the cold stone floor, panting from excertion and a growing mygrain. Nightmare sand flowed around him, brushing against his arms and legs, increasing his fear and trying to push him to his limit.

"Please stop," he whispered, trying to keep himself from passing out. Pitch had managed to put him under four times since being brought to the lair. Four times where he coax the growing power out of him and let it last out at the world above. Jack had no clue how it was being directed but feeling it distrupt regular weather patterns. Each time his powers would soar as new Believers came about, their fear fueling Pitch and making him more demanding, as if he could never have enough fear. But for Jack it just made him sick. The added power he fought to control, the light headness, the fight just to stay on the ground. It was too much for him. He didn't want this, not any more. He wanted to go back to how things were before, where he just had a handful of kids who believed in him and let him play with them. He wanted his family back where he could bicker with Bunny, read with North, fly with Tooth or dream with Sandy. He didn't want any more nightmares or pain. He didn't want to have to fight to control his powers.

"Just one more," Pitch promised, kneeling next to him.

Jack shook his head. "No..no more. Please..."

"Shh..." The Nightmare King took his slim shoulders and made him sit up. "You can do it, Jack. I can see the power already building up again." He placed one grey hand against Jack's chest. "Yes, there it is. Not enough to make you change forms but enough to create one more...what do you say to hitting Burgess straight on?"

"No..." He shook his head desperately. "Pitch, please, don't..."

But Pitch was already summoning the shadows again, forming a large portal above his head as they had the last four times. "Your friend Jamie likes snow days, doesn't here?"

"Please...I'll do anything."

His pleas were ignored as the nightmare stand raced up his body, creating a waking nightmare in Jack's already tormented mind just like the last four times. Apparently wakeful nightmares were far more affective and traumatic the sleeping ones. Jack tried to freeze the sand as it moved up him but his body was too tired to listen to him. Nevertheless, Pitch moved behind him, catching his wrists in one hand. He slipped Jack's crooked staff into his hands, aimed up toward the portal then wrapped his other arm around the boy's waist and pulled him against his chest, enjoying the feel of Jack shaking in fright as his power was released into the world above.

This time was far more powerful, The staff boosting what little power Jack had left. His magic was nearly completely depleted but it would be enough to frighten people, considering it was late August and the growing storms in Europe, Canada and South America. Soon the whole world would be covered in thick snow and ice and people would be too afraid to go outside. No children would play or have fun and soon fear would push away the powers of the other Guardians. Soon fear would rule the world. Fear and cold.

Pitch hugged the child to him, making sure to untangle his fingers from the staff before throwing it aside, no longer needed at this time. Jack's head lulled against his shoulder as the last of his power drained away. Pitch let go of his hands, letting them fall at the boy's sides. "You should sleep," he said gently.

"No..." But the objection had no force behind it.

With a snort, Pitch picked the smaller spirit up. "Suit yourself, but I plan on reclining somewhere more comfortable."

"Put me down...I can walk."

"Pah! As amusing as it would be to watch you stagger about I've tired of antics." He hefted Jack small form higher in his arms as he slipped from one shadow to another until he reached his thrown. He sat back in the large chair with Jack on his lap.

"I'm not a child!" Jack growled, trying to push himself out of the tight grip despite his exhaustion.

It took no effort for Pitch to yank him back in place. He grasped Jack's chin and turned his head until Jack was facing the rusted old iron globe in the center of the room. It shone brightly. "See that? Those are all your Believers. Look at them. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Not if it’s hurting them."

Pitch snorted, pushing Jack's head back against him. "You're but a child. In time you'll appreciate all I've done."

"Never."

Long hot finger drew a line down Jack's cheek. "Never is a long time, Jack, but I have patience." His hand moved to Jack's forehead then slid over his eyes.

"Stop! Don't..."

"Sleep. We need your strength to rebuild for the next storm."

Jack tried to fight it, he really did but the nightmare sand was just as powerful as Sandy's dream sand and Jack was powerless to stop it. He was pulled down into endless darkness as he body went limp in Pitch's arms. But this time no nightmares assaulted him, only crushing blackness.

Pitch watched Jack's sleeping form for several long minutes. Dark bags hung under his eyes and his deathly pale skin was nearly white. Despite the large number of believers Jack now had, conducting that much magic world wide in such a short amount of time was taking its toll. A good new dose of believers would fix that.

Taking Jack to the room he desinated Jack's when he first decided to make the child his - one way or another - he deposited him on a bed of nightmare sand designed to keep Jack under until his strength reached its maxium and Pitch awoke him, depending whether or not he desired to use him that way. Nightmares and waking nightmares had such interesting affects on Jack's abilities. There was so much he wanted to experiement with, but first he needed to generate more believers for Jack.

Summoning his Nightmares he sent them out in all directions, their only goal to bring fear of Jack Frost to as many boys and girls presently affected by the storms.

. . .

"There!" Bunny bellowed over the wind as Nightmares emerged from a dense forest just south of Ispwich. They had flown over the majority of England with no luck.

They waited for the dark creature to leave before landing the sliegh in a clearing. Bunny leapt out of the sliegh before it touched the ground and began sniffing, searching for the Nightmare's scent. The smell of brimstone filled his senses. After twitching his nose he pointed toward the dark forest ahead. "This way," he called to North.

Together, weapons drawn, they followed the scent until ten minutes later they came across an old, rotted out bed frame with a large hole partially hidden underneath. "This is it. Should we call Tooth and Sandy?"

North's eyes were dark with anger and growing exhaustion. "No," he growled out. "There's no time."

Bunny gave a nod. His feeling were the same. Dark magic oozed from the hole. There was no telling what it and Pitch were doing to Jack. Judging by the black storm clouds and swirling snow it wasn't good. "Gonna have ta dig, mate. Hole's not big 'nough for ya...no offense."

North said nothing, just gestured for him to get on with it while he took point, ready to defend them from any approaching danger. The temperature was quickly dropping as the wind picked up. Thunder cracked above them as the storm cell brushed against one another. Time was not their friend. If they didn't reach Jack soon there may be no way to get the storms under control.

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Chapter 12: Chapter 12   
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Pitch knew almost the moment they entered his realm. Fury filled him as he rushed throught the shadows to Jack. He wasn't ready yet. He needed more time with Jack. One more storm, that was all he needed for his plans to succeed, to bring back enough fear in the world to do away with the Guardians once and for all.

He sent out his Fearlings to deal with Bunnymund and North. Usually he would deal with the two on his own. Sure they were fierce warriors but he was able to move through shadows, avoid and attack in ways they could. Besides, Sanderson wasn't with them and he was Pitch's only true threat. The Fearlings would keep them busy long enough for him to move Jack. There were a number of abandoned places he could take Jack, places the Guardians would never think of.

Jack was as he left him, flat on his back on the makeshift bed. The only difference was the growing layer of ice and frost spreading from the child as his strength grew. It covered the floor and spread up the walls. The nightmare sand itself was frozen solid. Somehow it still held some power over him. He made no sound as Pitch lifted him up, the boy utterly weightless.

"Put him down, Pitch!" snarled Bunnymund from behind.

Pitch's brows furrowed as he turned. "How..?" he whispered to himself.

Bunnymund and North stood just inside the small cavern, weapons drawn and not overly happy expression on their faces. Pitch was scared, he hated to admit that but he was. However, if there was one thing he was good at it was hiding his fear. Instead he laughed, deep and malicious.

"Or what, rabbit?" he sneered, adjusting his hold on Jack as he took in the fact that Bunnymund had Jack's staff strapped to his back. Well, that might prove a problem. "You'll attack and put your precious sprite in danager? I think not. If you wish him unharmed you will both surrender."

North's eyes narrowed, looking more threatening than ever. "Harm Jack and we gut you."

Oddly enough that was scariest thing North had ever said to him and for the first time Pitch believed him. Still, he couldn't show weakness. He silently summoned his Fearings and shadow beings. "He's no good to me damaged." He smiled, just needing to egg North on. "Besides, North, I've become rather fond of the boy. He might make a good son, don't you think?"

The Russian snarled, lunging at him. A Fearling smashed into the large man, throwing him to the side. Bunny threw a boomerang at it, despelling that magic holding it together.

"Well this was nice," Pitch laughed. "Be sure to let yourselves out."

He slipped into the shadows with Jack, cackling in victory as Bunny screamed at him. Unfortunately moving through shadows with Jack, despite his diminitive weight slowed him down. It wasn't much but enough that Bunny managed to latch himself onto him. And with Bunny came North. It sent Pitch completely off balance. When they materialized in an abandoned factory in Ipswich - not exactly where Pitch had planned - they were thrown to opposites sides of the room. Pitch rolled to his knees, immediately searching for Jack. The boy was a good ten feet away, holding his head and trying to get his barings. Pitch moved to retrieve him when one of Bunny's boomerangs smashed into his head, sending Pitch stumbling the opposite way. He clenched his head and glared at the Pooka before sending a wave of shadows at him. Bunny jumped and dived, dodging them as he caught his weapon.

. . .

"Jack," North whispered, wrapping an arm around Jack's shoulders.

Hazy wide crystal blue eyes blinked up at him owlishly. "North?" Happiness filled him and he threw himself into North's arms. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Large arms held him tightly, maybe a little too tight, and North rested his cheek against Jack's head. "I'm happy to see you too, son."

"North, get him outta here!" Bunny yelled before a group Fearling took him down. "GET HIM OUT!"

Pitch just laughed, strolling almost casually toward North and Jack. "How touching. I should have known you'd try taking on a father role for young Jack. I must applaud you. He's just as stubborn if not more and so niave."

With an almost inhuman growl, North shoved Jack behind him as they stood. He began back the toward the door, one large hand firmly around Jack's wrist.

"Oh don't run," Pitch mocked. He slipped into a shadow and reappeared directly behind Jack but before he to touch the youth North yanked on Jack's arm, throwing the boy back in the room toward Bunny as he swung his sword with the other hand. Pitch just managed to duck in time to avoid a beheading. He twisted and conjured his scyth, swinging in a large arch. "You can't win, North."

The Russian dodged, bringing up his second sword to block the next swing. "You will not have my son."

"He's not your son, North," Pitch taunted, playing on the Guardians fear. "You never had a child of your own. You never will. Trying to play daddy to Jack's not going to change that."

North roared in rage, but his attack was sloppy and Pitch managed to land a blow that put the much larger man on the ground. He raised his scyth, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Pitch!" Jack yelled causing the Nightare King to stop.

A grin came to Pitch as he gazed at the small winter sprite. "You going to beg for his life, Frost?"

The usual soft, almost musical voice became a echo. "No."

Pitch's eyes grew wide as the change took place much faster than before. Jack's body quickly changed to it's diamond ice form, the change completely controlled but the most frightening was his eyes. Blue bled out to white and glowed with power. A slight rise of his hands caused the wind to howl just outside before the windows shattered inward. Pitch stumbled back in shock. This wasn't happening.

"You want power, you want to frighten people," Jack said in that strange echoy voice. "Tell me Pitch, am I scary enough for you?"

Another wave of winter magic sent the Nightmare King flying out into the corridor. Jack followed, stepping past North but not acknowledging him, his mind set on revenge.

"Now Jack," Pitch tried to reason with him. "I brought you believers. I gave you everything you ever wanted. You should be thanking me."

Doors slammed closed as Jack passed them, his focus never leaving Pitch. Desperate, Pitch called his Fearlings to his aid. A wave of them hit Jack but he didn't faulter, instead ran his hands through the sand, freezing them where they were. Jack tilted his head to examine them before his eyes returned to Pitch. He snapped his fingers and the frozen sand fell at his feet as snow.

"Thank you," he said flatly. The howling wind picked up the now snowy sand, reformed it into horses of Jack's creation and sent it back at Pitch.

The Nightmare King gave a cry of fright as it slammed into him and together they disappeared.

"Jack?" Bunny called, North leaning heavily on him.

Jack turned. He stared at them blankly for a moment, trying to remember who they were as the winter storm raging outside whispered to him, calling him outside to play. It was like a Siren's call. He couldn't ignore it. If he answered he could spread snow and ice world wide, reach places it had never touched before. He could bring about a new ice age all on his own. People would...people would fear him.

"NO!" he cried, grabbing his head. He shook it, fighting the voices as he backed away. They were darker than Pitch's, cold and heartless. There was no fun to, no love or heart.

"Jack," North tried, his voice calm and patient. "You have to expell the magic."

"No...the storm..."

"Not in the air. In the ground, Jack. Put it in the ground. Let Mother Earth take it," North explained.

Jack looked up, diamond tears trailing his cheeks. "The ground."

"Yes, Jack."

"But the Warren..."

"It'll be fine, Snowflake," Bunny assured, smiling encouragingly. "Get yer shiny butt out there and plant your feet in the snow. The rest would come ta ya."

Jack hesitated another moment but as the voices began raging in his mind again he made a bee-line to the nearest exit and outside. Once he touched ground, his feet - which never sank in the snow but always seemed to say above as if weightless - dug into the snow until he felt grass and soil. As soon as he was settled he pulled at the magic inside as he called out to the storms and pulled them to him. He held them close to him, trying to control the pure power behind them, something his magic had created. It was too much, it felt like he was going to explode. Push it down, he reminded himself, Push it down and breath. Slowly it moved down, through his arms, past his chest and belly, down his legs and out through his feet. It took quite a few times before the snow stopped and storm clouds disappated but jack kept doing it until he felt nothing left, nothing but the whisper of the wind, his first friend.

His knees gave out from under him and Jack found himself sitting on wet, melting snow, exhausted but in a good way. A little bit of giddiness returned but just enough to remind him that he had been able to stop a world wide dissaster. He had saved the planet from another ice age. That was all that mattered.

A large warm body sat down next to him, pulling him into a one armed hug. "Very well done, Jack," North congraduated him. "Very well done."

"Yeah, mate, couldn't have done bettah mehself," Bunny agreed, ruffling Jack's hair.

Jack playfully batted it away but smiled. "Did you just admit I can do something better than you, Cottontail?"

Bunny gave a snort and playfully shoved Jack into North. "Still can't beat meh in a race, brat."

The youth just laughed. "That a challenge, kangaroo?"

"Boys!" North interjected, hugging Jack a little tighter to him. "Must you really start?"

Bunny's laughter was joyous if not a little teasing. "Listen to Papa North, Snowflake. You don't want to go back on the Naughty List."

Jack only smiled, his head against North's shoulder. "I don't care. As long as Sandy can help cut back some of my believers and help them, all of them I'll be the happiest spirit you ever met."

North chuckled, helping the youth stand. "All very well and said. Time to go."

Home, that sounded so good right now. To simply lay in his own bed and stare out his skylight. He stopped suddenly, almost tripping North and being shove forward by accident. "Wait...did I trash my room?" At the wide eyes of his friends he felt frost cool his cheeks and neck. "Ah shit!"

Laughter was all that answered him as North patted him on the back, a little harder than necessary. "We'll find you another room. You can pick when he get home."

They came to the sleigh soon enough, the reindeers padding their hooves in the ground, eager to be own their way. They clammered in, Bunny a little shyly but not mentioning his rabbit holes. Jack settled into the a seat, happy when the sleigh jerked forward and took to the air.

"Thanks," he said softly. "For coming after me."

Bunny grabbed him up the ankle and dragged him down to the seat next to him. "No need to thank us, Snowflake. Its what families do. We ain't ever leaving ya behind."

Those words sang in Jack's heart as he leaned against Bunny. He was so happy to have a big brother like Bunny and father like North. Sure they were not related by blood but Jack couldn't have asked for a better family. Even if he did have memories of his past life and his human family - and he loved them dearly - he would never want to change a thing.

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Chapter 13: Chapter 13   
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Bunny wasn't quite sure what he expected after they got Jack home. All though the boy fought it, he did nap on the way home, leaning against Bunny like a big warm pillow, but since landing he shrugged off any attempt to get him to rest or pick out a new room. He just laughed and said he was tired or sleeping and would find something to do. Bunny took that as spreading chaos to the elves and yetis or playing in the snow. Jack did quite the opposite. He sat in the Globe Room and stared up at the Globe of Belief and the millions of tiny lights that were all his. Bunny and North watched him for awhile, assuring him that everything would be okay and searched for tell tale signs that he might lose control again. Nothing happened. When the others came back they had a feast - North had to throw a party for the safe return of Jack despite the kid's objections - he was only gone one day. North waved him off and set his yetis to work before retiring to his office with some important toy designs that he needed to get back to.

He didn't see the hurt in Jack's eyes nor Jack his, but Bunny did. There was an unspoken bond between to two. Jack was to shy to voice it and North was too afraid to push the subject so they went their own ways. North always buried himself in work when put in such a situation and Jack would find something to distract him. Bunny was having none of it. It was time to get things in the opening, but he could only do it with one at a time. He knew how North felt for Jack, he made it more than obvious when Jack was taken and said it enough but Jack didn't seem to understand the sentiment for what it truly meant.

Deciding it time to straighten Jack out a bit about their fellow Guardian he hoped to the window seat the boy claimed as his own. "Shove over, Frostbite," he said, indicating the side of the cushion Jack's feet were stretched out on.

Jack raised a questioning brow before pulling his knees closer and balancing his book against them. "You know there's a couch right there," he said, gesturing toward the sofa facing the fireplace where it was considerably warmer.

"Yeah, but yer here." Settling himself down, Bunny pulled his feet up and placed them next to Jack's hip, effectively pinning the smaller spirit next to the window he had frosted over. Jack's eyes narrowed as he glanced at them then stretched his own feet next to Bunny but kept enough of bend to continue whatever it was he was drawing. "May I?" he asked holding a hand out for the sketch book.

Jack looked up again, finished the line he was working on then handed it over.

Bunny glanced at the cover in mild surprise. "This isn't the one Ah gave ya."

A frown marred the boy's face and he rubbed one arm absently. "I guess the other one yet lost or destroyed in the explosion, I couldn't find it. Phil gave me that one."

"It happens, no biggy," Bunny said, turning the book back over to see what Jack was working on. A fond smile caused his whiskers to twitch. It was a sketch of North in profile as he spoke with Sandy. Sandy's form was just an outline, no details yet but North...well the boy had talent, that was for sure. It was full of detail, from the way his lips pursed to the twinkle in his eye, even the embroidery on his clothing.

Jack was absently chewing on his pencil as he watched Bunny and smiled when Bunny did as he gave the book back.

"Have you ever shown North your work?" Bunny asked as Jack took the pencil from between his teeth to add more detail. Just a shake of his head. "Frostbite...Jack, you should, he'd love to see your drawings."

Another shake of his head. "They're not very good."

"Are ya kidding? Mate, Ah should be putting you ta work on my googies this Easter. Keep ya too busy ta cause a blizzard."

Jack laughed but still shook his head.

"Any more problems with yer powers?" Bunny asked instead.

"No. Things seemed to have calmed down." He glanced at the globe and all the tiny lights. "I guess now that things have stabilized it's not hitting me anymore. I still feel it, like my chest just wants to tighten but I'm not floating for no reason or turning to ice. I sort of have control of it. I think." To prove his point he held up his hand. It was its normal pale then suddenly began to change to ice. It only travelled to his wrist and then was gone.

Bunny nodded in approval. "And the staff?"

"Not going off randomly," Jack assured.

"Good." The sat for several minutes in companionable silence, Bunny trying to gather his thoughts while Jack continued on his drawing. The amount of dedication he put into it only validated Bunny's thoughts. He stared at the image with a certain amount of love, like a child to a parent. "How much to you remember of your father, your real father?"

Jack raised a questioning brow.

"In your past life."

Jack set the book and pencil aside and gazed out the window. "Not much. I remember my sister and mother...sort of, but...I remember he was taller and worked hard to feed us but...there's only bits and pieces."

"Have you talked with Tooth?"

"No...finding out I saved my sister and died doing it was enough." He looked up at Bunny, his eyes wide. "Don't get me wrong, I don't regret it but...when I started having panic attacks whenever I hear ice cracking on a lake or trying to swim I thought it best not to delve in to the memories too much. If I need something I'll see Tooth but I know the basics and that's good enough. I had a family. I was loved. That's good enough."

Bunny placed a hand on his knee. "Ya have a family," he corrected. "You are loved. And you have someone how very much wants to be your father."

Jack stared at his knees. "I know North loves me and I do think of him as a father...but what if he doesn't want me one day. What if he thinks I'm more of a bother than I'm worth?"

"Ah can't promise he won't grow tired of yer antics, or think yer a royal pain, cause you are, but if you saw the rage he was in when Pitch took ya, the way he was willing to kill to protect ya, ya wouldn't ask that." He took Jack's hands and pulled him toward him as he sat up properly. He gave the boy a one arm squeeze.

"Really?" Jack asked in awe.

"He searched the entire planet, wore more weapons than Ah knew he could hide and still wear that coat of his and string together a line of curses that would've made any sailor proud. He loves you, Jack. We all do but with North...its different. Ah think its time ye both talked it over."

Jack sat forward. "You sure about this?"

Bunny shrugged. "That or Ah can let Pitch take ya again and have North prove it."

"Not necessary. I..I'll go talk to him." He slipped his book under his arm, grabbed his staff and headed for the lift. He paused a moment. "Are you staying after the feast?"

Bunny shrugged. "Ah s'pose. Someone needs ta keep an eye on ya until we know ya've settle inta yer powers and make sure Pitch doesn't try being helpful by giving ya more."

Jack grinned. "See you a dinner."

Twice Jack considered turning back or taking off to the nearest exit and playing out in the snow. He wasn't quite sure how to bring up the subject to North. He'd been living in Santoff Claussen for over almost five years. It had taken some coaxing from North and Bunny and the yetis throwing him in the sack for a second time before he gave in and agreed. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted a home or family he was just scared of screwing it all up. Now he was afraid he was doing it again or worse, taking North for granted.

Leaning his forehead against the huge wooden door of North's office he sighed. He loved North, he was the best father any kid could ask for but he had never told North that. Sure they joked around and played pranks on the yetis or Bunny from time to time, or cozied up in the library reading until Jack had - on more than one occasion - fallen asleep against North and the older man carried him to bed. North had taught him how to steer the reindeer, fix the sleigh, design toys. All the things fathers do, sort of, and Jack always thanked him but had he ever told North just how much he meant to him? That he was the closest thing Jack could recall to a father. That he thought of his as his father?

Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door before inching it open and peering around it. "North?" he called.

The large man was sitting at his desk, rolling a small race car back and forth, obviously to distracted to notice him.

"North?" he tried louder.

This time the Guardian of Wonder looked up. His expression went from forlorn to happy in a heartbeat. "Jack! Come in, come in. How may I help you."

Jack smiled shyly, closing the door behind him. He leaned his staff against the wall then walked over to him. "I was worried you were upset," he said meekly.

"Me? why would I be upset? It is you who had bad day," North questioned as he stood.

"You did too. You had to search you me."

"I wouldn't have been so frantic if you were not so important to me."

Jack raised a brow at that.

North sighed. "Jack, I care about you."

Jack nodded. "I care about you, too" It wasn't exactly what it wanted to say but it seemed North was going to be difficult.

"What's this?" North asked, taking the book out from under Jack's arm. He flipped it open, finding the first image in the otherwise new book. His brows rose almost to his hairline. "This is good."

"You really think so?"

North gave a nod. "I would ask for father son one but we need someone to do work." He froze, his eyes wide as he stared at Jack. He promptly closed the book and handed it back. "I say nothing. My apologies."

Jack took it back but he was grinning mischievously. "I'm sure if I hassle the kangaroo enough he'd do but I'm not good at sitting still for long periods of time. He might need a camera for assistance."

The funniest face North ever pulled was in that moment. He looked like a fish out of water, gaping for the correct words. Jack just laughed and wrapped his arms around the large man's middle and pressed his head against North's chest. "So can I still call you North or do I have to start calling you Dad?"

His large belly rumbled with laughter as North wrapped his arms around Jack's much smaller frame. "Whatever you wish, son. Whatever you wish."

. . .

Deep in the depths of the underground lair Pitch sat back in his throne, defeated and angry as he skimmed through the sketch book he'd taken from Jack's room. The boy showed talent. The things they could have created together had they just had a little more time. He frowned as he came across an image of North. With a snarl he ripped out and crushed it.

"On day, North," he vowed. "One day I'll destroy you and the Guardians and Frost's true potential will be unleashed."


End file.
